the keeper of my heart
by eisa
Summary: katie belloliver wood fic. Back in school Katie the threat of doom and a tragedy that changes her forever. can even oliver save her from her fate?does she want to be saved? can she survive the loss of Cedric? how will oliver react to her loss?
1. the beginning

The Keeper Summary: Katie bell and Oliver Wood story. Katie POV. An insight into our favourite Scottish Captain. What he did after Hogwarts really. R  
  
Chapter 1  
  
I looked in amazement at the letter that sat on my desk. I couldn't believe that I had been chosen as the new Gryffindor Quidditch captain. I had to write and tell Oliver. He had left strict instructions that whoever got it must inform him. It didn't matter how far he moved away from school Quidditch he would always care.  
  
Oliver, You won't believe it. I Katie Bell am the new Quidditch Captain. I just got the letter now and I knew you would love to know who took your place.  
  
Oh on that have you had any thoughts on who could get to take the vacant Keeper post. We really should have sorted that before you left. I think it is absolutely great that you are playing with Puddlemere. It must be amazing. Ever since I found out about Quidditch it's all I have wanted. Now that I am Captain of one of the main underage teams I have hope that you and I will once again play together.  
  
Oliver, this is such a big deal and all I want to do is celebrate this, but mum and dad are Muggles and they don't get Quidditch. Oh I wish I was in Diagon Alley with you!  
  
Oh you must tell me who won the World Cup. I bet it was amazing but I was in Norway with my sister Jenny and her boyfriend Lars, (it wasn't the best idea my parents had I was such a third wheel, Jenny kept asking did I have a boyfriend. After two days all I wanted was to hex her. But the shopping was good.)  
  
Katie.  
  
I couldn't but help feel isolated when I was at home. I was a muggle born and lived in a small town which was coincidently only six miles from the Weasley's. My father ran a fairly large farm and my mother was a teacher. I loved them dearly and they didn't seem to mind the fact that I was a witch. They had suspected something was different with me since I was a tot. But they had never been people to believe that magic was real, let alone their only daughter was a witch! My brother thinks it is the coolest thing in the world and keeps trying to make me turn our pet cat Hilly into a dog. I smile as the small black cat dances between my ankles purring as she asks to be feed but first I took my tiny post owl, which I had rented from Hogsmede for the summer, from the large cage I had placed in the corner of my room, it hooted softly and nipped me happily as I fastened the letter to the tiny flat in Diagon Alley I knew Oliver lived in now.  
  
Oliver Wood, whenever I thought about him I only saw the scarlet robes and the heavy brown Quidditch gloves. I smiled; it was hard to believe that he was one of my best friends. No matter what anyone thought I knew Oliver was more then just the Quidditch Captain. He was the best captain the team has had in its seven hundred years. He knew what he was talking about and he knew how to get the best from us. He had just become captain the year I joined the team, we started to learn about Quidditch together from two different angles. I was only a first year, like Harry I was the youngest on the team for many years, though I was or never will be as famous as Harry Potter. Oliver was an amazing Keeper, none of the school teams could even dream of having a player as good as him. He had joined the team in his first year also; talent had pushed him to the fore. He had been patient with me and helped me learn to ride a broomstick correctly; I had spent hours with Madam Hooch learning to hover when all I wanted was to soar. Oliver taught me how to speed fly, to grasp and direct the broom with my legs when I was holding the Quaffle. He taught me the best ways to shoot a hoop. I taught him how to play basketball. He gave up after three hours calling it a pointless game, and after playing Quidditch I could understand why every other game was pointless.  
  
Mother liked Oliver; she had bumped into him when we left the platform together on his last day. He was giddy with excitement as he had just got top NEWTS and he had got a letter from Puddlemere and was going for trials with their professional team. Mother had met him when he pushed his trolley through and saw his parents hadn't made it. I had wished him farewell and gone to my mother. I spotted him just sitting on a bench waiting absolutely terrified of the barbarity of some muggles. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him as he had been so happy on the train home and the weeks leading up to the departure. My mother went to put my stuff in the car and I went to him and I sat beside him. This had not been the first time his parents had been late collecting him. I had never liked his parents, they were worse then the Malfoy's. I often wondered how Oliver became so sweet and gentle with despotic parents like his. He seemed a bit embarrassed having me sit there. We didn't say anything for a while, we just sat and waited. I think my mother must have known I would be there a while and she had returned to tell me she had to do some shopping and would call my mobile phone when she was ready to collect me. Still Oliver didn't say a word. After half an hour I had to say something. "Oliver are you okay?" I asked softly, he doesn't look at me; he rested his elbows on his knees. I instinctively rubbed his back softly. "This is just typical of them you know. When I started Hogwarts they expected me to be in Slytherin like they had been. Ever since I was put in Gryffindor they have been even nastier, tried to put me down even more." I don't think he is actually talking to me more then simply voicing his anger at his parents. I moved a little closer to him and put my arm around him. "Don't worry, you have proved to be great. Dumbledore saw that when he made you prefect, Madam Hooch saw it when she made you captain and everyone sees it now you are going to be a professional Quidditch player. You are the younger Gryffindor's hero, the great keeper, the great Oliver Wood." He looked up at me and smiled, he knew I was trying my best to cheer him up and he hugged me tight. "Thanks Katie but I think that was a little over the top." He said smiling as he ruffled my hair. "See here Wood, I don't mess with your broom, you don't mess with my hair. Remember? Now I have full right to turn up on you door step when you are Puddlemere captain and demand that I have a go on your firebolt." I laughed.  
  
We sat and spoke for hours before his parents finally made their appearance. His father was a tall thin man with cold black eyes, Oliver's mother was about my height but also thin and her skin was pale. They stood before us and looked at me with disgust. We stood shoulders touching our hands behind our backs. "Oliver, really I thought I raised you better. But a muggle born for a friend honestly. You should know better your grandmother would be ashamed. I suppose these are the sort of wizard you have been associating with in Gryffindor." his mother said, her voice was like a hoarse whisper but it echoed through the station. "Mother please?" Oliver begged for his mother to behave, I could see he was getting red from embarrassment. But this seemed to egg them both on. I think they liked to watch their son squirm with embarrassment. I pitied him and wanted to say something but I couldn't find words so I discreetly held his hand which I noticed then had been balled into a fist but as I held it, it relaxed. "Now come along Oliver. You'd better be ready for your interview with the Ministry tomorrow. I won't have you messing up. And I certainly don't want a damn Quidditch player for a son." His father spoke and I was amazed that the iciness in his voice caused tiny clouds to form in the air. I felt Oliver tense up again like I knew he did when faced with Flint and the other Slytherins. His head snapped up and he looked into his fathers cold eyes. "Father I am going to play Quidditch, I have gotten my place." His voice was stronger then I had ever heard it. "Is that what this Mud Blood has been filling your head with. Dreams of Quidditch. I knew it was a mistake to let you learn. But I had hoped you would play for Slytherin like the six generations before you!" Oliver's father said. Oliver tensed now beyond all belief and took a step closer to his father staring him right in the eye. "Don't call her that. Leave her alone Diablo, she is worth more then you." "if you do indeed choose this Mud Blood you are not coming home with us!" his mother spat. "Fine! I will be better off without you both." Oliver said turning and taking his trolley and pushing it away from them. He put his free arm around my waist and we walked away. "Oliver thanks. Are you okay?" He had stopped pushing the trolley and just looked down at his feet. I put my hand on his shoulder and he drew me into a large hug. I could feel him relax as he hold me. "Where are you going to go now?" I asked our arms still tight around each other "Diagon Alley. I have enough gold for a flat so I am living on Diagon Alley." His voice was not as strong as it had been in front of his parents. Then my phone rang. "Mum yes. Okay. I'll be there in half an hour." I said arranging my way home. "Oliver I have to go. But I'll see you soon okay?" I looked at him and couldn't help but lean over and kiss his cheek. "Thanks Katie. I needed to get away from them." He slowly let me out of his arms and he watched as I left the train station. That had been the last time I had seen him, he had wrote and told me he had found a small apartment where he was staying until he found something else. I think he missed his parents even if they were evil - how could he not love his own parents?  
  
Mum and Dad both came home from work excited that I was now captain. They had never seen a Quidditch match, they couldn't - all the pitches were magically protected so that if a muggle saw them they would dash off to an appointment they had forgotten. Dad had gone to the dentist six times in the space of three weeks when I first started Quidditch. Mum had the best kept hair in the area. I think they felt left out of that part of my life, but they tried to follow it as close as possible and even read the Daily Prophet although they were always distracted by the moving photos and old tales about He-How-Shan't-be-Named. They were so excited they brought me out for a big meal and made me explain everything there was to know about the game. By the time I flopped into my bed I was stuffed to the gills with prawn crackers and spring rolls and had Bludger's and snitch's on the brain.  
  
I was woken early by the scratching of the post owl on my window. Groggily I opened the letter feeding the owl some bird seed I had specially for the owls that came to me. I smiled when I saw the envelope, it was red and green, Puddlemere colours. I knew it had to be from him.  
  
Katie,  
  
I hate to say I told you so. You were the only one I would have had to take my place. I remember being told how when I got knocked out you were able to bring the team together and kick Hufflepuff ass. You shall be the best (well after me of course).  
  
I know what you're saying about the new keeper situation, I really should have trained someone to help and I would have except for the whole dementor threat. I had always the fear during that year that Quidditch would be cancelled like when the chamber of secrets was opened. But we pulled it off didn't we, we actually got the cup. That was one of the proudest moments in my life. Is that a bit sad?  
  
Puddlemere is amazing; I wish you could see it. Maybe at Christmas you can come see it. You would love it. But I am sure that you will get a spot on the team when you finish school. You are one of the finest chasers I have ever seen.  
  
When you come to Diagon alley to get your school things come see me, my apartment is just beside the Leaky Cauldron. I would love to see you. You could even stay - I have a great sofa bed. I'm sure its very comfy.  
  
Ireland won the world cup. They beat Bulgaria but Victor Krum caught the Snitch. It was a short match but exciting, I have a few new ideas for tactics which I saw the Irish use, I'll show you them when you come over. And I am sure you could never be a third wheel, you are too much for that.  
  
Lots of love Oliver.  
  
I smiled softly. I always liked hearing from Oliver. He seemed pretty happy, I was glad. I had actually decided before he sent the owl to visit him. I really wanted his insight into the tactics I could use for the new team I had to shape.  
  
I ran downstairs and told my parents I was going to stay in Diagon Alley for the last week of the holidays. They didn't seem to bothered but made me promise to behave myself and to write to them at least once a week. I bounded up the stairs two at a time to tell Oliver I was coming to see him the very next day. 


	2. Madam Dumas

Disclaimer: I own nothing not even this computer. If you do choose to sue me you shan't get a lot. So I wouldn't even bother if I were you.  
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
I woke early that next morning and wandered into my kitchen, my hair still wet from the shower I had just had, to find my parent reading through the newspaper that had just been delivered by owl.  
  
"No matter how long I read this paper the damn pictures will always amaze me." My father said as he examined a picture of a smiling and waving Harry Potter.  
  
"Honey how are you getting to Oliver's?" My mum asked as she poured me my first cup of coffee. She eyed me with a certain degree of suspicion, the last time I had gone to visit a friend from school it had been the Weasley's; the twins and I, well we tried some new pranks on Ron and apparently he was walking in circles for the better part of a week. I thought it was funny, the twins found it hilarious even Hermione had loved it, but my mum and dad were mortified.  
  
"I am taking the knight bus. I've heard it's something not to be missed." I said as I picked up the letter that had the Hogwarts stamp on the back, I expected it would be from Professor McGonagall to tell me the do's and don'ts of being Captain. It was still so hard to believe that I was captain. I opened the letter while biting into some toast and when I read what it said I almost choked right then and there.  
  
Dear Miss Bell,  
  
Owning to some extraordinary events to take place in the school this year it is necessary to call of the Quidditch Cup. We would like to ask you to keep your appointment to yourself and Mr Wood. Do accept our apologies but we are certain that you shall enjoy the event immensely.  
  
Professor McGonagall  
  
No Quidditch! What were they thinking? How could they do this to us? Oliver would have killed someone if he had been captain. He'd still kill them now that he had left the school.  
  
"Dad can you help bring down my trunk? I have to leave now!" I said jumping to my feet and running up stairs. I changed into some wizard robes and put my wand in the front pocket. What was Dumbledore thinking when he cancelled Quidditch?  
  
Five minutes later I stood outside hailing the Knight bus. It had been a mistake to take the three decker purple bus. I knew that as soon as I saw it pull up, the driver drove like a mad man, the bus narrowly missed hitting the gable of the house! Dad gave it a wary look but kissed me goodbye, telling me not to get into trouble. The journey to London was short thank god but I was left slightly bruised and sore.  
  
Diagon alley was alive with activity when I got of the bus; admittedly I was glad I hadn't eaten much of a breakfast before I got on it. I dragged my trunk behind me and sat outside the Leaky Cauldron. Oliver had said he would meet me at one of the outdoor tables. I sat and waited reading and re- reading the letter McGonagall had sent me to make sure it wasn't a trick.  
  
'Pop'  
  
"Bell there you are." The Scottish accent warmed me as I turned and saw him standing there next to my trunk. He looked much healthier then the last time I had seen him, his face wasn't half so pale and he had built his muscles. He looked great even if he needed a shave and a haircut.  
  
"Wood. I have been waiting." I smirked tapping my imaginary watch. He bowed apologetically and sat across from me.  
  
"So are you all excited to lead the team out on to the pitch? I remember the first game I was captain I was so sick before I thought I'd actually have to send you on to play captain for me. Remember?" he chuckled, it had only been my second game on the team and Oliver had been so nervous he hadn't slept in two days according to Percy. I had noticed he hadn't eaten much and then as we sat in the changing room he went a funny shade of purple and ran to the bathroom. I have never yet seen a man or anything at all for that matter get so sick in all my life.  
  
"Yeah, I remember, I was the one rubbing your back. But Oliver I got this letter this morning." I handed him the letter and saw the colour drain from his face and his jaw clench.  
  
"This is so unfair for you. How did they know you had already told me?" he asked, the man had a valid point, but I had no doubt that Dumbledore knew everything that ever went on in the wizarding world.  
  
"Oh lets not talk about this now. Tell me everything you are at in the world of Pro Quidditch." I said smiling as his entire face lit up on the mention of Pro-Quidditch.  
  
"Oh it is the best, the season starts in three weeks and I am the second keeper. The manager is a Mrs Winter and she seems to think that I could be starting games around December. You'll have to come see how I do?" he said with the eagerness I had only seen in young children talking about Christmas. I smiled brightly at him.  
  
We sat there outside the Leaky Cauldron for ages talking about everything except for the one thing I had wanted to ask him. I wanted to know how he was coping since he left the train station that June. I just couldn't get the words out to ask him about what had happened.  
  
We left my trunk in the care of the bar man and we wandered around the street looking in shop windows and looking at brooms I would never be able to afford. We stopped outside a small shop with the tiny sign reading 'Alice's Wonderland and Looking Glass specialists, est. 1265bc' I had never paid much attention to, in fact I don't think I had ever even noticed it before. It was so small I think it must have been built by goblins. Oliver opened the door for me and we wandered into what actually turned out to be a much bigger shop then we had first thought. The shop was filled with jewellery and vintage dress robes, it smelt like an old attic and moth balls, but it was indeed one of the most interesting shops I had been in for some time. A little old witch wandered over to us wobbling slightly on her cane. She was shorter then me and looked like someone's kindly old aunt.  
  
"Ah Katie Bell and Oliver Wood. I was wondering when you two would find my shop." She said as she looked us over with her twinkling grey eyes. She smiled as if she had been indeed waiting for us.  
  
"How do you know who we are?" I asked softly as the old woman smiled even more and she let out a small chuckle.  
  
"I am Madam Dumas. This is my shop. I know you due to the fact I know all that goes on this street and its neighbours. But you two have always caught my eye." She said as she went back to the tiny counter where she picked up her knitting needles. I looked at Oliver who looked just as confused. We followed her over to the counter. She smiled up at us again as if she had not even spoken to us before.  
  
"Are you here for dress robes? Maybe a ring perhaps is more what you are looking for?" Madam Dumas said her smile never wavering. I sigh and look back at Oliver who has a sort of mystified but understanding look on his face.  
  
"Well I do need some new dress robes." I sighed as Madam Dumas walked me over to a large rail on which hung dress robes in every colour I had ever seen and some that were new to me.  
  
"This one was worn during the great renaissance of the 1870's, I remember them well. I think the blue would bring out the colour in your eyes. What do you think Mr Wood?" Madam Dumas said as she held a long pale blue robe before me. It was indeed a beautiful gown.  
  
"Well Miss Bell do go try it on." Madam Dumas said shooing me towards the changing room. Inside the changing room the walls were lined with full length mirrors which shimmered as if the surface was water. I changed into the robe and was amazed at the texture of the material. It felt like silk, I tied the silver rope belt which trailed a little on the floor behind me. Looking into the water like mirrors I was surprised to see that I wasn't looking back. Instead in the reflection I saw me standing in the Great Hall with a Hufflepuff and I looked bored, there was a lot of commotion going on around me but everyone else was a blur. But then my eye was caught by something else, Oliver, I smiled. He looked tired but happy, he was wearing muggle clothes and he looked out of place in among the crowds of Wizards. He walked ever so slowly towards me and took my hand. He led me to the dance floor and we danced slowly, I rested my head on his shoulder. Then the reflection changed - the water like surface which had been so smooth and calm became stormy and another vision greeted me. I was not wearing dress robes but wedding robes. My face seemed to be twisted in pain. I was crying terribly, I suddenly felt the sensation it was ultimate grief, I could taste the tears I could feel the heart brake. It was awful; I had never felt so empty. Just as it started to become clearer the vision left and I was left looking back at myself in the pale blue dress robes. I now looked pale and shaken; the empty feeling lingered and gnawed at me. What had I seen? Why had I seen it? A thousand questions swam around my head. I changed back into my clothes and went back to Oliver who was flicking through a ten year old copy of Witch Weekly. He saw me and smiled trying to hide the fact he had indeed been reading Witch Weekly.  
  
"Well Miss Bell, did you like what you saw?" Madam Dumas said softly looking into my eyes searching for a clue as to my mood.  
  
"Yes, it was insightful, I think I will take this robe." I sighed hoping my voice didn't quiver.  
  
"Thank goodness, those mirrors have been known to.." Madam Dumas stopped and turned looking me in the eye. She was again searching.  
  
"They are unusual mirrors indeed." I said as I paid for the robe. Madam Dumas nodded still searching my eyes for something. I backed away slowly leaving the old woman muttering something under her breath.  
  
"So why do you need new dress robes, you only bought new ones last year?" Oliver asked. I didn't reply, my mind was still trying to register what I had seen in the mirrors. I would have to find out if it was the future I had seen and felt. 


	3. the mirrors of Avalon

CHAPTER 3 "Katie are you okay? You look kinda blue." Oliver said as we passed Flourish and Blotts. I looked at him and tried to smile but I just couldn't, the images I had seen were buzzing around my head like haunting ghosts.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine Oliver, its just those mirrors were really weird." I sighed the last vision of me in a wedding gown crying more tears then I thought I ever had. What was that? Why had I seen it? I tried not to think about it but it weighed upon me. I needed to find out about those mirrors.  
  
"Okay then, do you want to come up to the flat now. But I warn you it is not the tidiest place on earth; I really miss having house elves." He said smiling. His smile was warming and it seemed to light his entire being. I had to smile with him as we walked the cobbled streets to his door. He unlocked the door with a small golden key and we walked up the narrow wooden steps to his flat. Inside was exactly how I pictured it when he told me it was not the tidiest place on earth. A pile of dishes looked menacingly at me from the filled sink, Quidditch gear was all over the tiny flat. A picture of the Gryffindor team sat waving at me on the dresser next to a manual on the duties of a proper Quidditch captain. I had to note that the book looked well read. I smiled as I looked at the large poster of a scantily clad model. Typical boy! I looked at Oliver and raised an eyebrow looking at the bikini clad blonde. He flashed me an innocent smile and shrugged his shoulders before vanishing it having turned a nice shade of maroon. I loved to tease him sometimes. The flat was tiny. The living room was also the kitchen, there was a tiny bathroom of to the right and a bedroom to the left. The sofa did look comfy I would have to ask Oliver in the morning because there was no way I was sleeping on it. I had spent two weeks in a log cabin on a wooden bench in the mountains of Norway, I wanted a nice comfy bed!!  
  
"Would you like a drink? I got Muggle soft drinks. I have begun to explore London. My god it is so strange, I saw these boxes with people in them, I think they called them radios. It was weird; do they shrink them down to fit in?" Oliver said opening a press.  
  
"I think you mean T.V. Well I have to say when I first came to Diagon Alley I was pretty much amazed at this place." I said as he handed me a cola. He sat down next to me and took a deep breath.  
  
"Well, still you have to admit, Muggles can be odd, but so can Wizard's look at that Madam Dumas. While you were in the changing room she made me buy this." He dug into his pockets and pulled out a small long thin black velvet box.  
  
"What did she con you into buying?" I asked my eyebrow must have almost disappeared into my hair when I saw the box. Jewellery. Oliver snapped the box open and I looked amazed at the thin diamond studded bracelet. But on closer inspection I noticed that they were wizard diamonds. They were the rarest stones on earth and were only found in Antarctica on the night of the winter solstice and you could never find enough to make a ring let alone the bracelet Oliver had now.  
  
"This must have cost you a fortune. Pro-Quidditch must pay very well!" I said looking at the bracelet, the diamonds twinkled like stars.  
  
"That's the weird bit she gave it to me for thirty Gallons. Like this is worth thousands. She just told me to be careful." Oliver said looking at the bracelet.  
  
"Careful? Why do you need to be careful?" I asked as I closed the box and gave it back to Oliver.  
  
"I don't know she just said be careful. And that this was to be given to you." He said passing the box back to me. Now I knew something was unbelievably odd about Madam Dumas and her shop.  
  
"Oliver I can't accept this, it's worthy more then my house!" I said giving him the box back with trembling hands. He folded my fingers around the box again and looked deep into my eyes.  
  
"Please I do want you to have this Katie. I owe you a lot." He said his hands were holding mine around the box softly, his chocolate eyes made me melt. For a second I thought about leaning in and kissing him. 'Katie this is Oliver. Remember your best friend. You can't kiss him!' a tiny voice in the back of my mind screamed.  
  
"Oh Oliver, you don't owe me anything at all." I said softly, I leaned in a little, so did he, if I moved again I would be close enough to kiss him, to have his lips on mine. He took his hands away slowly and opened the black box.  
  
"Please accept this as an early birthday present." He said as he fastened the bracelet on my wrist. I smiled and nodded.  
  
"Oliver, I have to ask. How are you since you know the thing with your parents?" I asked softly. He bowed his head and took a deep breath. His eyes glazed over a little sadly and he looked me in the eye.  
  
"I miss them sometimes. They are my parents and I love them, even if they don't love me. I was at the world cup and I met Harry and Ron. My aunt was with me and I told them she was my mother. I don't know why I did that." His head was bowed again.  
  
"Your aunt?" I never knew he had an aunt. He smiled sadly.  
  
"Yeah the black sheep in the family, next to me. She was in Hufflepuff. She's really nice, she visits every Tuesday to cook my dinner and make sure I am not living in sheer squalor. You'll love her. She's only a few years older then me. She's so cool she's an Auror for the ministry. She believes that Sirius Black is innocent 'cos she met him in school. He had been a fourth year and she was a first year, but apparently they got on really well and has always thought that it was too odd for him to betray his best friend in the world like that. Although she did say she wasn't one of James Potter's biggest fans." He said, he seemed excited about his aunt and I was pleased to see his face light up again.  
  
"what's her name?" I asked, this woman seemed pretty cool.  
  
"Abby Wood. She'll love you. You are so alike. I was going to owl her and ask her over later on this evening, that is if it's okay with you?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"Why wouldn't it be okay with me? This woman sounds really cool." I smiled as Oliver jumped to his feet to write to Abby. Then a thought hit me, if Abby was an Auror, maybe she would know about Madam Dumas's mirrors. For a few moments I had almost forgotten about what I had seen.  
  
"Excellent, all I need to do now is wash the dishes. I hate this job." He said looking at the piles of dishes with disdain. He raised his wand and muttered 'Leveionaium' and the dishes were suddenly clean and in neat piles back in their presses. I made a mental note to remember that spell, my mother would love it.  
  
Suddenly the flat was filled with a shining blue light from which a young woman in her late twenties stepped forth. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair falling in loose wavy curls to her waist. Her eyes were blue and twinkled with glee. She was tall and thin like Oliver's father but that was all she shared with her brother.  
  
"Oliver, it is great to see you have finally learnt how to wash up. Or was it this young lady who washed up for you?" Abby Wood said smiling. She took a step towards me and smiled warmly at me.  
  
"You must be Katie Bell. Oliver has told me all about you." Abby said shaking my hand warmly. I shot a look at Oliver he smiled back sheepishly.  
  
"I hope it was all good? For his sake at least!" I laughed as Oliver went a deep pink. Abby laughed and sat at the table next to me and Oliver.  
  
"Oh it was. But I shan't embarrass my nephew anymore for tonight anyway. Shall I zap in dinner? Mexican or Italian?" she asked with a slight swish of her wrist the table was filled with both.  
  
"Abby, can I ask you something?" I said after being totally filled with pasta, we had cleverly sent Oliver out for dessert so we could have a girly talk, but all I wanted to know was about the mirrors. She nodded and looked at me waiting for my question.  
  
"Do you know a Madam Dumas?" I asked, suddenly Abby's face drained of all colour and I thought she was going to be sick.  
  
"Have you seen her? Did you buy anything?" Abby asked quickly. I felt my heart skip a beat, why was she acting so odd about this.  
  
"Yes Oliver and I were in her shop today. I went into the changing rooms and the mirrors." Abby stopped me and I felt my stomach lurch.  
  
"You, you looked in the mirrors. What did you see? Oh my god." Abby said she was now ghostly white and my stomach was beginning to do back flips.  
  
"I saw two things. The first was me in the Great Hall at Hogwarts at some sort of ball, then Oliver came in and we danced. The second I was dressed in wedding robes and I was distraught, I was crying really hard. I don't know what made me cry. Just that looking at it even made me feel sheer loss and loneliness. What do these mean?" I said looking at her searching her face for a clue. She was now shaking, I felt even sicker. Why was an Aurour shaking about mirrors.  
  
"Oh God. Katie, did you buy anything else in the shop?" she asked urgently.  
  
"Oliver bought me this. Why what's wrong?" I asked showing her the diamond bracelet that was on my wrist.  
  
"Madam Dumas isn't a witch, she is a spectre."  
  
"Like Nearly-Headless-Nick?" I asked.  
  
"No. a spectre is much more cunning and devious. They appear only to certain people at pivotal parts of their lives to show them a glimpse of what is yet to be."  
  
"So that's how she knew our names." I said softly.  
  
"Katie, this is awful. You have seen into the mirrors of Avalon these are magic's not meant even for witches and wizards. I have to go. I have to talk with Dumbledore. But Katie, you must not take of the bracelet. You must leave it on until we sort this all out." Abby was whiter then flour now and pacing the floor.  
  
"Why? It's only a bracelet." I said softly looking at the thin band of silver and diamonds on my wrist.  
  
"It's anything but a bracelet; it may be a port-key. A spectre can fashion them so that once removed the soul of the wearer and that of the one who placed it on, is swallowed. Please just leave it on. I will be back as soon as I can." And with that Abby apperated away.  
  
When she was gone I slumped back into the couch and tried to understand everything that had happened to me that day. Oliver wandered in with a bag filled with Every Flavour Ice cream only to find me in a dazed heap in the couch.  
  
"Where's Abby?" he asked looking around.  
  
"She had to go to Dumbledore to ask him something. It seems that Madam Dumas was really - really strange." I said my voice trembling as I looked at the bracelet as if it was a time bomb waiting to go off.  
  
"I think we may be in some sort of trouble Oliver. Dumas is supposed to be dangerous." I said softly.  
  
"That little old lady, you have to be joking." He said sitting next to me. I turned to him and told him what Abby had told me. But for some reason I couldn't tell him about the Mirrors of Avalon. He too was shaking when he heard it all. I almost cried but he put his arm around me tightly.  
  
"Abby will sort this. I won't let anything happen to us." He said kissing my forehead. I pulled back a little and looked into his chocolate eyes.  
  
"Oliver. What if I lose my soul, you know what that means don't you?" I said looking at him softly.  
  
"Yes, but even if, I'll lose mine too. We'll still be together." He said tenderly, as he held me to him, I felt safe in his arms but I couldn't help but be afraid.  
  
"But we won't love each other. I'll be banshee and you'll be a ghoul." Oh god I just said the L word. How was he going to react to that one? I looked at him with large tear filled eyes. he smiled softly at me and leant in closer.  
  
"I'll always love you, even without my soul." He said brushing some hair from my face softly and then he kissed me. I hadn't expected such a sweet kiss and my breath caught in the back of my throat. He bit my bottom lip softly and I opened my mouth a little to permit his tongue entry. Our tongues did gentle battle as I felt his hands on the small of my back. He put one hand under my blouse and began to trace circles on the base of my spine with his fingertips. That gentle touch sent vibes of sheer want through me. He shifted gently on the couch and lay me back, he lay on top of me and I smiled up at him as he ran his fingers over my face.  
  
"You are so beautiful." He whispered as he begun to kiss my neck. I smiled as he spread fire with his touch, his fingers slowly played with the band of my jeans, sliding in slowly rubbing the top of my panties. I stopped him then, if I didn't it would never end and this was moving to fast for me.  
  
"Oliver, not yet. I'm not ready." I whispered in a heavy voice. He looked up at me and nodded. He sat up and held me again in his arms.  
  
"Do you know how long I have waited to kiss you like that? God ever since I saw you on the platform on your very first day. You looked lost but refused help from anyone."  
  
"Yeah I remember I nearly killed you with my trolley." I laughed remembering how I had made a running jump at the barrier to platform 9 and ¾. I had run straight into Oliver and knocked him flat.  
  
"I think I still have the mark of the trolley on my hip." He laughed slightly.  
  
"I'll have to take a look sometime." I said winking suggestively.  
  
"Yes I think you should." He said kissing my forehead. I laughed slightly at the wink he gave me, for those few moments we forgot that our very souls lay on the line. I certainly didn't want to become a Banshee and I am pretty sure Oliver didn't want to be a ghoul. But I had to wonder what pivotal point were we both in our lives? Maybe if we could figure that out we could try get out of this fix.  
  
But that night when I had kicked Oliver out of his very own bed to the sofa, it was all I could think about. All I wanted was news from Dumbledore or Abby to tell me everything was okay. I also wanted to know that the vision of me crying I had seen and felt in the mirrors was a fake, that when my wedding day finally came it would be happy. I lay there in the silence of the night listening to the evil visions that haunted me about why I would cry so much on my wedding day. By the time dawn reached the window sill I had exhausted my self with speculations of all that could happen. I wrapped myself in his blankets and breathed in his scent, it made me feel safe and content. As long as Oliver was with me I would be okay. 


	4. more visions

Okay this chapter shall be a little short but this is really just getting into the plot. Believe me it gets better and better. Also a little more R soon I promise.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
I woke with a splitting headache the next morning looking at the Quidditch clock next to the bed I couldn't help but smile a little. I was in Oliver's bed. But the blinding pain became shaper then any headache I had ever before and the pain seemed to travel down the back of my neck down my arm stopping at the bracelet. The first thing I wanted to do was rip it from my wrist and throw it out. But then Abby's warning came to me.  
  
The pain was becoming blinding and I must have screamed with it as Oliver came rushing to me. I could feel myself contorting in pain on the bed and the sheets knotting around. I felt Oliver trying to hold me still but I bucked beneath his touch.  
  
"Katie!" he screamed as I felt the fever engulf me. I have left the bed now, as if the fever has lifted me away from it all I am back standing before the Mirrors of Avalon again. My feet aren't even touching the ground but I don't care. I look into the mirrors and I see myself. I look as if I am underwater my hair is down to my knees and silver white, my skin is a pale blue and my eyes cold and silver. The vision screams, I cover my ears. The vision is me as a banshee. The image in the mirror smiles at me coldly.  
  
"He'll hurt you more then you shall ever dream." And then the fire engulfs me again. The sheets are again knotted around me. I can feel Oliver holding me down but he is not alone, I open my eyes and see Abby and Dumbledore. They all look concerned.  
  
"What happened?" Abby asked as she let me go. I felt my heart pound against my ribs. My lungs seem to have forgotten to breath and I gasp frantically. I can still feel the flames around me. I can still hear the cold voice that had echoed all around me. I could taste bile in the back of my throat. Before I answered I ran to the bathroom and was sick. Abby followed me and held my hair back as I emptied my stomach. Oliver stood at the door looking at me with large concerned eyes. Dumbledore put his hand on Oliver's shoulder and brought him back into the bedroom.  
  
"You saw the mirror's again?" Abby said as I rinsed my mouth. I nodded squeezing my eyes shut trying to block the vision out. I had been a banshee. I had felt the coldness and the hate that lived in me in that form.  
  
"I saw." I couldn't finish, I felt so weak. Abby came to me and walked me out to the bedroom. My legs felt like lead as I wobbled on them. I sat trying to catch my breath as they surrounded me. I looked up at Dumbledore, he always had answers. I needed to know if the Mirrors visions were fact.  
  
"Miss Bell are you feeling better?" he asked softly coming closer to me. His royal blue robes were glinting with star dust. He handed me a small vile of red potion.  
  
"Drink it." He said softly, I drank it without questioning him. I suddenly felt calmer and my heart didn't beat so fast.  
  
"Now tell me what you saw this time."  
  
"I was a banshee and I spoke." I said ignoring the puzzled look on Oliver's face. Abby gave Dumbledore a worried glance which I didn't miss.  
  
"What did you hear?" Dumbledore said softly. He seemed overly urgent and my fear began to return.  
  
"it said, 'he'll hurt you more then you shall ever dream'. Then it vanished. Sir I don't want to be a Banshee." I said my voice soft and scared as I looked into the headmaster's eyes.  
  
"I know my dear. I am going to take the bracelet off though. We can't be sure. Madam Dumas has been known to be both evil and good. That's the trouble with spectres they are not one or the other. The bracelet may take both your souls or do nothing at all. The mirrors of Avalon they are a different story." Dumbledore bent down and reached for the bracelet. I pulled my hand away.  
  
"No. my soul is one thing, but Oliver's he hasn't even seen the mirrors. I won't risk his soul." I said sternly with a strength that I never knew I had. As I did the bracelet snapped of and vanished before it hit the ground. I looked at it in horror, the bracelet was gone. The blinding pain returned and I fell to the ground. No one said anything, no one came near me as I felt the pain rip through me. I screamed in pain. I could taste blood in my mouth and all I could see was black.  
  
"Katie." A soft voice whispered to me through the blackness and I went towards it. Madam Dumas.  
  
"You what do you want from me now. Is my soul not enough!" I screamed through clenched teeth.  
  
"That is not what I wanted at all. I am here to show you your life. I am here to give you a second chance to stop what you saw in the Mirrors. To stop the pain. For he will only hurt you." She said. I could see her more clearly now, no longer was she a bent over old woman but she was young and tall, her skin was pale. Her dark hair fell to her waist. She held her hand out.  
  
"I'm here to help you from making a mistake which you will regret for the rest of your life." She said. She waved a staff high in the air and suddenly I was in Hogwarts, watching myself at what looked like a Yule Ball.  
  
"They can not hear you nor can they see you. This is sort of like a glimpse at what you are heading towards when you go back to Hogwarts this year." Madam Dumas said as she turned to watch. 


	5. happy?

Disclaimer : I own nothing Yada Yada ya... just don't sue.  
  
Thanks everyone who's reviewing. Oh please tell me what you think of Abby and Madam Dumas. Should Dumas be Über evil or not?  
  
Chapter 5  
  
I watched as I left the Great hall and I went to the Quidditch pitch, I followed with Madam Dumas, I felt strange watching myself.  
  
"You'll feel just as she does, since she is you!" Dumas said as she looked at me and then back at the future Katie.  
  
Future Katie lay on the cold grass of the Quidditch pitch looking up at the stars that twinkled like fairy lights in the sky and sighed. She could hear the noise from the ball. It was December and she was freezing, I could feel the same goose bumps form on my skin but all she wanted was to be there on the grass of the Quidditch pitch. The music in the back round was growing slower and softer, the slow set was beginning. Her date from Ravenclaw would have realized she has ditched him but she doesn't care, she only had one thought. She closed her eyes and pictured how she had planned to have the Quidditch cup nearly wrapped up and ready to be won by Gryffindor again but then the damn tournament. True it was exciting but it wasn't the same. She hardly noticed the soft footsteps coming closer to her.  
  
I watched my future self as she lay on the cold hard earth dreaming of Quidditch as he came closer to her.  
  
"Now what are you doing out here?" the Scottish accent sent shivers down both me and the future Katie and she smiled. She didn't get up or even open her eyes. Yet she felt him lay down beside her.  
  
"Oliver, how did you get here?" She asked not complaining but curious. She heard a soft chuckle.  
  
I turn to Dumas, how could I regret this, this is something I have dreamt about. Oliver and I alone like this. But Madam Dumas points me towards my future self and Oliver again  
  
"I appareated into Hogsmead and then came to see how my captain was doing at her school ball. I see you are avoiding it." he said softly, his breath is warm on her ear, I can feel it softly tickle mine too.  
  
"Well it wasn't really my kinda thing, my date was just a friend and everyone kept looking at me." she says turning her head to see him lying right next to her. He is smiling at her. He stands and takes her hand. I can feel the soft pressure of his hand even though he is holding Future Katie's hand and not mine.  
  
"Miss Bell, may I have this dance?" he smiles bowing. she sees he is wearing dress robes of dark blue which compliments his complexion. She sighs and nods. He takes her into his arms gently and he dances there under the full moon and stars on the Quidditch pitch the music floating over the air softly with my future self. I felt the warmth of his body against mine and my future self draws closer eager to be warm, his arm snakes around her tighter and I can feel his heart racing against my chest though he is pressed against the other Katie. His chest rose in deep breaths, suddenly I realized mine was doing the same. Why was my heart beating so fast? Oliver's hand was on the small of future Katie's back and the other around her shoulders, she leans in and rests her head on his shoulder and they danced for what seemed hours enjoying the warmth both gave off. I chuckled softly, how could I ever regret this? I notice my future self chuckles softly too.  
  
"What?" he asked softly.  
  
"I know a million and two girls who would love to be where I am now." She says looking into his dark brown eyes which twinkled like the stars she had just been watching.  
  
"Well I only want one." then he kissed me. The kiss came as a surprise, for both me and the future Katie, I feel each sensation as she does. His lips melded with mine and his tongue begged for entry to my mouth, it was granted and our tongues did battle. He held me closer, I could feel his excitement. I wondered could he feel the way my heart was racing. My hands eased up his back. I could feel his breath catch and he moaned softly. He drew me closer until I was so close not even air passes between us. The kiss was becoming more heated by the second and I knew that if it wasn't broken soon it never would be. That tiny voice in the back of my head was screaming at me to keep kissing him, my heart was telling me to keep kissing him. Only the sudden explosion of fireworks above the couple made them break their kiss.  
  
"You want to know why they were all looking at you tonight at the Ball?" he asked, future Katie tilted her head and arched her eyebrow in my patented way. He smiled not letting her go from his tight grasp.  
  
"They watched you because you were the most beautiful woman there. They couldn't help but look and admire." he whispered softly into her ear as he continued to hold her close.  
  
"You are a charmer Mr Wood." Future Katie said softly her breath laboured as she almost begged him to kiss her again. she didn't have to beg long, soon his lips were fixed upon hers and they kissed so passionately, his fingers knotted in her hair, future Katie's burned too touch his bare skin.  
  
"Come to my place for the Christmas. You can see what pro Quidditch is like. come home with me?" he said as he continued to kiss his way down her neck, each kiss spreading a new fire that caused both me and future Katie to feel claustrophobic in our robes. My future self didn't answer but brought her lips to his again. It was as if a hunger had gripped her and the only thing to sooth the pangs was Oliver. Maybe it always had been Oliver; did I play Quidditch for Oliver? Yes, at first I did, I wanted to be closer to him, I wanted to be able to see him whenever.  
  
I watched in amazement as future Katie dance with Oliver. They seemed so close and comfortable together. I had no idea how cute we looked together before. But I saw nothing I would regret. It looked as if I was going to be happy next year in Hogwarts. Madam Dumas laugh's.  
  
"Happy, you think you are going to be happy." Her laugh is cold. We are suddenly surrounded by the black again and we are again in Hogwarts Great Hall except it is now my graduation ceremony. My god I am head girl!  
  
A/N : From here on in its pretty much R. 


	6. Graduation

Chapter 6 - Graduation  
  
Madam Dumas and I both stood at the back of the great hall near the two giant doors. I could see myself sitting at the head of the graduating students and their families. I noticed that the Weasley twins were missing as there was a serious lack of red hair in the lines. I saw Oliver sitting with my parents and I smiled, he and I were obviously still together if he had come to my graduation. I watched as Dumbledore rose and a hush fell over the great hall.  
  
"Again it is the time of year where we at Hogwarts bid farewell to those who we have trained and taught these past few years. And indeed they have been eventful years filled with tears and laughter. But I do hope that for each here that laughter was more prevalent. Now for their farewell speech's I give you the head girl from Gryffindor, who we should congratulate on becoming a member of Puddlemere United the great Quidditch player Miss Katie Bell." The hall burst into applause.  
  
I turned too looked at Dumas, it seemed perfect. I was with Oliver, I was head girl and I was going to play for Puddlemere. It was all I had ever wanted. But Dumas still had a sly smirk on her thin red lips that made me wary. I turned back and watched as I saw myself stand on the stage. I could feel what she felt, my future self was nervous about her speech and her head was filled with a speech that made no sense to me. But I watched as she smiled down at the students and teachers.  
  
"Witches and Wizards, ladies and Gentlemen. I welcome you to the graduation of the year 1998. This has indeed been an eventful time to walk these halls. We have been witnesses to the rise again of He-who-shall-not-be- named; we all know that war is brewing in this world we enter a war in which we shall all be called upon to stand tall and do what we believe right, we must steel ourselves for the battles we face. But we must remember we have also seen laughter here in the form of two missing students who I've been told have sent their best to us and wish for us to try something called Exploding Poker, but with Fred and George Weasley I believe everything with the word Exploding in it is to be handled very carefully it may explode or turn you yellow from my past experience with the pair.  
  
As a class we have held together, not due to the house we have been sorted to on that first night we were lead here seven years ago by Hagrid, but because we over saw that, we joined together as one when the time came and I know we shall again when needed. Unity is the key to he-who- shall-not-be-named downfall. We have already lost many loved ones, we lost many friends and those whom we once classed enemies. But now as we are about to venture into the world as fully trained witches and wizards I believe that the unity we learnt here shall do us the world of good. We have all studied hard, be it in the classroom or on the Quidditch pitch, we have all played a part in this old school's story. And now as we prepare to leave it for the last time I ask all the students to stand and give a round of applause to our fine headmaster and teachers, we owe them a lot for forming the strong family bond we felt here within these castle walls." as my future self stopped the hall erupted into raptures of applause for all the teachers that sat at the top table. Looking up at it I notice that Snape is missing and Professor's Lupin and Moody are sitting at the table. I can feel my heart beat relax as I come of stage and let the Head Boy make his speech, Lee Jordan - never had I thought he would get it! I watch from the back of the hall as I go back to my seat smiling at Oliver and my family. I can feel my future self sigh as she sits back down in her chair.  
  
"I feel happy enough!" I say to Madam Dumas who again just smirks and motions me to watch. As I watch the scene before begins to fast forward as if someone had hit the button on a VCR. When it again slows down it is night and we are at the graduation banquet. My parents are deep in conversation with the Jordan's and my brother and sister are watching Nearly-headless-nick with joy as he retells tales of all the Gryffindor's he has seen since he became a ghost. I see myself, my future self, sitting next to Oliver.  
  
"Katie, your speech was amazing. You were amazing." He said softly into her, my, ear. I can see myself blush a little.  
  
"Oh stop. Are you going to be this nice forever?" my future self said coyly. I feel a warm flush come over me as I watch the two. I still can't believe I am watching myself.  
  
"Oh well of course, I'll have to protect the best chaser my team has ever known." His voice is a heavy and heated, I feel my future self knot with excitement as he whispers in her ear. I smile, these two are most definitely intimate, and I see images flash in my future self's mind. Flash's of Oliver, kissing the inside of my leg slowly moving his lips up until every inch of my body has been kiss and I feel passions fire burn within me. I look at Dumas and sigh, I was feeling happy, I want to know what point she is trying to make showing me this. Suddenly a violent pain gripped me and I fell to my knees, I clasp my hands to my head to try block the pain but it grows worse.  
  
"Be warned Miss Bell I shall be back for you. I still have much to show you." With that icy warning Dumas vanished and I was in Oliver's flat in Diagon Alley again. Abby was sitting with me and looked amazed to see me awake. I sat up and looked at my hands, the bracelet was back. The icy diamonds sent shivers down my spine. All I wanted to know was what was happening to me?  
  
"Katie, are you okay? God we thought we lost you." Abby said softly in my ear. Her voice is odd, it is a mixture of amazement and fear.  
  
"Oliver? Where is he?" I cough. A man's hand takes mine and I smile softly.  
  
"My god. Katie I thought I lost you for a moment there." He said sitting close to me. I hold his hand tightly.  
  
"Okay. I had better go to Dumbledore. Oliver, stay with her and don't take that bracelet of again. Oh I may know someone who can help but it's a long shot. Stay put here, don't leave the flat." Abby warned as she vanished.  
  
"Oliver, hold me." I said as he threw his arms around me. What was going on? Why was I seeing flashes of the future? Were they my future? What great regret did I have a chance at fixing?  
  
I breathed in Oliver's scents of aftershave and spiced shower gel. I couldn't help but remember the last flashes I had received from my future self. I could still feel his lips on my thighs and breasts. I looked at Oliver with lust heavy eyes and I leant in and kissed him. He seemed a little taken aback by this but soon melts into the kiss and I feel the passion build between us. My hands begin to travel his chest which is toned from years of Quidditch. I feel him moan softly as my fingernails gently racked his six pack. I feel him press himself closer to me; his excitement is evident as his jeans tighten in what has to be painful. He leans me back onto the pillows and all the while we never break the kiss. I can feel my chest heave with passion as he slowly reaches under my blouse to cup in his hands my satin covered breasts. He backs of now only far enough to look into my eyes. His brown eyes are fogged with lust and his cheeks are flushed. He looked like he was about to speak but before he could I lean forward and take his lips for my own again. He lay upon me now, his weight was crushing but I didn't mind, I think though he realised this and put most of his weight on his knee which was between my legs. As our tongues did battle I could feel him holding me tighter to him, I could feel the bulge in his jeans grow even more, I reached my hand down and slow ran my hand over it, he moaned out my name as I caressed the bulge through the coarse fabric, I can't help but moan a response. He gently kisses me and takes my bottom lip between his teeth and bites softly. I am on the verge of want. His fingertips slowly run over the top of my bra sending electric shocks trough me. I gasp as his fingers tickle the top of my breasts. I buck a little and move, he now rested snugly between my legs. I feel restricted now in these clothes and want to rip them away. I feel Oliver moan into my neck as I stroke the bulge, this action is driving us both to distraction. 


	7. a surprise ending

A/N: Katie was the youngest –chaser- in a hundred years, Harry was the youngest ~ Seeker. Thanks to everyone who is reviewing especially Melle who has been really supportive.  
  
This chapter is REALLY R. Also it shall hold a few surprises, remember this story is based the summer before Goblet.  
  
Also for some reason I can't get my italic's or bold to work when I upload something can someone tell me how to do it? As you can properly guess I am not the biggest computer fan, nor are they fans of me (one computer went on fire in the university lab while I was using it was VERY weird)  
  
Chapter 7  
  
He stops kissing me and I look up at him my head tilted softly, questioning why he has stopped.  
  
"Are you sure you're ready?" he whispered, I smile at him and I know then that there is nothing more in the world that I want more then him. I nod softly and he leans down and kisses me again, I feel his fingers fight to open the buttons of my blouse, I can feel his frustration and I smile as for a brief moment we break the kiss to pull my blouse over my head. I catch the bottom of his white shirt and pull it off him throwing it to one side. I sigh as I take in the sight before me. A clear six-pack ripples his chest, he is slightly pale, but living in Britain most people are, I know I am. I run my fingernails gently over his chest and feel him pant as he looks down on me; his lips parted just slightly. He leans back down and we kiss again, it is deep and soul consuming. I feel Oliver's hands unclasp my bra and I move slightly to allow him to take it off. Now I can feel skin against skin and it is like fire. He stops the kiss again and lowers his head now to my right breast, he takes my nipple between his teeth and pulls on it gently, the action causes my breath to catch in my throat. His tongue tickles the nipple now causing shockwaves to pass through me, while his tongue works miracles on my right breast; his hand is playing with my left. His short finger nails rack gently the nipple and the sensitive area around it. Oh gods this man is the best ever! As the waves of excitement course through me I feel for the buckle of his belt, I need him.  
  
My fingers are shaking with the pleasure as I finally manage to undo his belt and begin to undo the buttons of his jeans. I can feel him smile against me as I begin to push the jeans down his hips. As I push the jeans off his tartan patterned boxers are pushed with them revealing him totally to me. I can't see it but I can feel it pulse against my stomach. His hands leave my breast and I moan for the momentary lose of contact until he begins to slide the rest of his trousers off. Then he kisses my breast again and he kisses along my stomach until he reaches the band of my black hipsters, his fingers gingerly open them and teasingly he pulls them off tickling my inner thighs as they are revealed. I feel him kiss the scar on my right thigh from where I fell off my bicycle when I was ten. When all that separates us is a thin layer of dark blue satin in the form of my panties, he stops and looks up at me again.  
  
"Are you certain you are ready?" he asks, I am surprised he could even form words, I was pretty sure I couldn't. I reach my hand out to take his.  
  
"I have never been more positive about anything." I say as I pull him back towards me. I feel the satin being pulled away softly, again he is teasing me with his slow movements. He smiles up at me with his dark brown eyes large and black with desire. He kisses me again savouring the taste of my lips and tongue. His fingers are driving me mad with want as they trace wild patterns up my inner thighs working even more slowly to the top where I am now burning with want for him. I moan into him and I roll forcing him to the bottom as I sit on top of him now. I break the kiss and smile mischievously down at him, he looks up at me and tries to sit up to kiss me again but I lean back and slowly slide down his body kissing my way from the small trail of light brown hair at his navel to where he also burns for me. I look at his manhood for a moment and I smile, I have never seen one this close before and I study its appearance, long and smooth. I look up at him and smile as I bite my bottom lip. I look back down at his erection; I take him into my mouth and slowly run the tip of my tongue up the under side, when I reach the tip I flick my tongue. I feel him groan and tense a little as he struggles for control. I take more of him into my mouth and suck while using my tongue to tease him. He moans and I feel myself burn as I hear him call my name in a husky voice. I slowly take him out of my mouth and I look up at him, his eyes are closed as he continues to fight for control, he has balled the sheets in his fists. When he feels that I have stopped he opens his eyes and almost lunges at me taking my lips with a fiery passion I had never known anyone could possess. He rolls me back onto my back and I feel his fingers slip into my folds tickling and pinching my nerve ends until I too have the sheets in my fists.  
  
"Oliver, now! Please!" I say my voice almost faltering with want. He looks up at me and nods as he wraps one of my legs around him, he kisses me again and I taste myself on his lips. He holds eye contact as he slowly enters me. I moan in pain and pleasure as he fills me.  
  
"Did I hurt you? Do you want me to stop?" he says as he sees the wince of pain in my eyes.  
  
"No don't stop. Don't ever stop." I say as I bury my face in his neck. He fills me totally and begins to slowly move in me, slow rhythms as he too grows used to the tight heat around him. His thrusts become painful as he breaches me, but I hide the momentary pain as I gasp with the burning want of having him. He kisses my neck and links his right arm around me, he picks me up a little as I wrap both of my legs around him and his thrusts become more angled. I scream out his name as the waves of pleasure rips through me. I see him struggle to not join me. No he wants this to last longer; I want this to last longer. He moves even faster now and I forget to breathe as the pleasure washes over me again and again, the bed seems to be moving as we tussle the sheets. Finally Oliver goes over the edge and he spills into me, I can feel the warmth run into me. Exhausted he falls onto the bed rolling with me in his arms, he remains inside me, and I am in no hurry to loose the feeling. I slowly lift of him and he moans for the loss of contact. I look down at him and smile, he is sweaty and glistens. I run my hand down his chest and I look down at his penis which shines with our juices; I lick my lips and again take him in my mouth, I feel him again begin to grow hard as I lick the salty juices off his shaft. His hand softly strokes my hair as I lick him clean. When the last of the juices have been licked away, he is hard again. I love his girth in my mouth and I slowly use my tongue and my teeth gently to tease him, he tenses and I feel the warm juices again spill; I lap them up and swallow as he pours into my mouth, warm and salty, when I am satisfied he is finished I sit up and look at him as I lick my lips, he holds his arms out to me and pulls me to him. I lie against his shoulder as he draws patterns with his fingertips on my bare skin.  
  
"I love you Katie." He whispers as he nibbles my earlobe. His hand leaves my shoulder and travels to the burning heat where he had just left. He tickled and eased my legs apart again as he begins to tickle the raw nerve which feels swollen from use. I roll onto his hand while I kiss him softly as he probes deeper with his index and middle fingers. I gasp into his mouth as he brings me to the edge of want again. He slowly moves and I am again blinded by the pleasure he is giving me, I call out his name as the wave rushes over me and I collapse onto his shoulder contented with the world. All thoughts of Banshee's, ghouls, mirrors and Dumas have vanished as I curl up in Oliver's arms and begin to fall asleep.  
  
"I love you Oliver." I whisper softly as I feel him hold me tighter. I knot my legs with his and we fall asleep under the thin white linen sheet. I had never felt as content in all my life as I was then having his strong toned arms around my shoulders.  
  
A knock on the bedroom door wakes us and Oliver slowly rises putting on his trousers as I roll out of the bed to dress half heartedly all I want is to do is stay in bed with Oliver. When we are both dressed we open the door to find Abby trying to hide a smile as we hear noise from the kitchen. I blushed instantly as she winks at me. Instinctively I straighten my hair which must have been all over the place, but I smile back at her as Oliver shifts nervously under his aunt's knowing gaze.  
  
"Since I can see that you two have kept yourselves busy. I have brought the one person I know will be able to help us. You can come out now." She called to the kitchen. A tall thin dark haired man came from the kitchen. I gasped when I recognised him, he wasn't as pale as his pictures, nor was he as scruffy but it most certainly was Sirius Black. 


	8. fate awry

CHAPTER 8  
  
"Relax, he is innocent. I am sorry Sirius." Abby said turning to the silent figure. As I looked at him I could see that he was indeed a handsome man once but the years in Azkaban had taken their toll. His face was lined and eyes black. I must have looked scared. The most wanted man in the Wizarding world next to Voldemort himself was standing right in front of me and I could clearly see his wand. Oliver stood close to me his arms folded across his chest as he looked at the escaped prisoner before us.  
  
"Abby maybe you should have told them about all this first." Sirius said as he came to the aurours side. His voice is softer then I thought it would be and when he looked at Abby I could swear his eyes twinkled a little. It was hard not to look at Abby and not be stunned by her beauty, her blonde hair fell in perfectly formed curls to her waist and her blue eyes were hypnotic, she looks really young even though she is at least thirty five. I wondered was there Vela blood in the Wood's. I watch in a stunned silence as I was ushered to the couch. Abby and Sirius sat across from us as Oliver held my hand softly.  
  
"Look Katie, Oliver. Sirius is one of the few people who know anything about the Mirrors of Avalon and he has met Dumas before too. So if you want to save your souls you will listen to him." Abby said sternly. Now I could see why she was an Aurour. Oliver looked at me as if to say 'she won't let him hurt us'. I nod and we turn to the infamous Black that had haunted our school the year before.  
  
"Alright where shall I begin? Aw Madam Dumas. She is older then Dumbledore, I suppose she was a little old lady the first time you saw her. Wobbling around on her cane. Yeah that's what she was when I first met her, and then she turned into a young woman to show the future." Sirius said as he sat close to Abby. I watched the pair closely. They sat as close as I did with Oliver, somehow I could see that maybe when they were in school they were closer then friends. Maybe they still were.  
  
"Yeah that's how it happened." I sighed as I never varied my gaze.  
  
"The bracelet, wizard diamonds right?" Sirius said again. Oliver nodded his answer.  
  
"The last time you took it off it felt like you were being swallowed by fire. Then you were stood somewhere being shown the 'future'." He said as I nodded. I knew all this already why was he going on about it again.  
  
"The thing with Dumas is the fact she owe no allegiances to either side. She may be evil she may be good. All depends on what she wants. Has she given you any indication?"  
  
"She said she wants to help me stop making a choice I shall regret for the rest of my life. But then when I looked in the mirrors for a second time I was a Banshee. What is all that about?" I asked as I felt myself become curious. He had seen the mirrors and Dumas. What if she had tricked him into the choice which made him the criminal he was now? What if I made no mistake and the only thing I will grow to regret is walking into the shop where I met her.  
  
"Katie, did you buy anything other then the bracelet?" he asked softly.  
  
"Yeah I bought some vintage dress robes." I sighed softly. Sirius turned to Abby and gave her a concerned look.  
  
"Katie, you never told me about the robes. Can you get them for me?" Abby said softly but urgently. I shrugged me shoulder and went to get the pale blue robes. I hadn't made it passed the couch when I felt the flames lick me again. I fell to my knees as I heard Oliver call my name.  
  
I opened my eyes again as I rose again to my feet. I am not in Oliver's flat anymore. I am standing in a church, I can see Oliver standing at the top in front of an alter in his dress robes waiting for someone. I see my older self in the very back; she is wearing rich silk white robes. I can't shake the memory of what I saw in the mirrors. But as of yet I saw no tears. I could feel that my older self was nervous but she was happy. I look beautiful. I had never seen my hair in such an elaborate twist and my make up was perfect. My sisters stood each side of me in lilac robes looking a little uncomfortable but happy. My baby brother was holding a cushion holding two thin gold bands. My dad was standing behind me and I could see my mother at the top leaning across to talk to Abby who was sitting across the aisle with Sirius. My older self straightens her perfect robes and nods; she is ready to walk down the aisle.  
  
"Aw Miss Bell; perfect timing." I hear Madam Dumas's voice behind me and it sends an icy chill through me. I turned and looked at her as she smiles at me.  
  
"You know today is meant to be the happiest in your life." She said in a sing song voice. I turn and look at myself walk down the aisle. I can feel the butterflies in her stomach churn with excitement. I watched as my older self stands close to Oliver. I am going to marry him and I see no tears, no sign of tears at all. I watched the wedding ceremony. I have been to loads of muggle weddings which felt like they go on for an age but this ceremony is over within ten minutes. I smiled. I can feel the urge to kiss Oliver. I have never felt so happy.  
  
"You shall not get my soul Dumas." I said not turning away from the newly weds.  
  
"Your soul no longer concerns me girl." She snapped as I watched Oliver spin me around a little as we leave the church laughing.  
  
"I saw in the mirror. I saw myself weeping at the wedding." I turn to Dumas whose face is now ashen. She looks at the congregation which has gathered around the older versions of Oliver and me. I can see her gaze is firmly fixed on Sirius Black and Abby Wood, who I notice is pregnant.  
  
"It can not be. It can not be. The fates. Something has gone awry!" she gasped, she waved her hand and again all I see is black. As the dark engulfs me I see a flash of blue light and I hear a baby cry in the distance. 


	9. twin peaks

This chapter is a little different to all the others; it is a big part of the plot though. Bear with me, it gets back to what I deem normal near the end. Those of you not old enough to remember David Lynch's Twin Peaks may feel it's very odd, but those who watched that truly weird show will get it straight away, sort of.  
  
CHAPTER 9  
  
I became aware of all the sounds around me. I can hear the hushed whispers of Sirius and Abby.  
  
"What do you think?" Abby asked the tall escaped murderer. I heard him take a deep breath.  
  
"I don't know Abby. Those damn visions can be convincing, they stopped me from being the secret keeper for Lily and James. Dumas told me that it would be the biggest mistake in my life. It was if I had been the secret keeper none of this would have happened, they'd still be alive. I'd have been with you these past twelve years." He said softly. I tried to stay still. Sirius Black was innocent.  
  
"I have missed you Sirius. I have looked everywhere for Wormtail but there's no sign. He is gone deep underground. You can't stay here much longer, it's not safe." Abby sighed, I opened my eyes just slightly as I watched as Abby was folded into a warm embrace. I was right; they were more then just friends.  
  
"I can stay a little longer. I don't want to leave you just yet. It's been so hard these past twelve years not being with you." He said kissing the top of her head. They stand there away from the window holding each other tightly.  
  
Slowly I pretend to wake up. The two lovers come to my side and I see Abby smile down at me. She brush's my hair of my forehead in a motherly touch. I smile up at her and take a deep breath as I watch Abby trying to hide the fact she had been crying in Sirius's arms.  
  
"Hey. What did you see?" she asked softly. As she sat on my bed and looked over her shoulder at the tall man standing in the shadows.  
  
"I saw my wedding. But it wasn't like the mirror vision I saw in the shop. I wasn't crying I was happy, I mean very happy. But something weird happened then. Dumas went ash when she saw you and Sirius. You were pregnant. She said something about fate going awry." I said sitting up a little. Abby looked again at Sirius who came next to her now.  
  
"I was at the wedding?" he said softly. I nodded. Abby smiled up at Sirius.  
  
"What does it all mean? When I was waking up I heard a baby crying. I don't understand. Every time I see Dumas something contradicts the thing she showed me before. She doesn't even want my soul anymore she just keeps showing me stuff that makes no sense." I said as Abby reached her hand behind her for Sirius to hold.  
  
"Each time you wake up things get altered a little. I suspect something Dumas has not foreseen has taken place, and her plans are still unclear. Don't trust her Katie, no matter what happens don't believe anything she tells you or shows you." Sirius said softly.  
  
"Where's Oliver?" I asked noticing that he is nowhere to be seen.  
  
"He was called to see Dumbledore; he should be back in a few minutes. Don't worry." Abby said smiling at me.  
  
"Sirius why don't you go make the tea." Abby said smiling at him. He nodded and smiled, he knew that Abby wanted to talk to me about Oliver.  
  
"Katie. You and Oliver are, well I shall say intimate. You are still young, both of you are. I know what is like when your boyfriend is older then you. You and I have that in common, that and there is a real chance that you shall both have to fight the same war. It will be hard on you both. You must be strong, never doubt the love you have. For one moment of doubt and everything can be lost. Do you love Oliver?" Abby asked, I look at her as if she asked me the most silly of questions.  
  
"Yes, I love him." I said instantly. Abby smiled.  
  
"I suppose he loves you too. I heard from his parents it was your idea for him to leave their house."  
  
"It wasn't my idea. It was his." I said softly thinking again back to the last time Oliver saw his parents. Abby looked at me softly and stood walking back to the kitchen without saying a word. I slump back into the bed, I notice someone has undressed me and I am wearing an over sized t- shirt. I feel sleepy and I begin to fall asleep when I feel someone sit on the bed. I open my eyes and smile as Oliver smiles down at me.  
  
"How ya feeling?" he asked his Scottish accent soothing any worry I held. He lay down next to me over the blanket. His hand rests on my stomach and his head on my shoulder. I breathe him in again and I smile as I relax a little.  
  
"Oh I am fine. What did Dumbledore say?" I asked as I played with his fingers.  
  
"Nothing, he wasn't there when I got there. I met MacGonagall and she said he hadn't even called for me. 'Twas very weird." He said kissing my neck, I feel him yawn a little and I too feel very tired all at once. Soon I can feel Oliver dozing on my shoulder and my eyes feel too heavy to open, slowly and against my will I fell asleep.  
  
The dream I entered was strange, it was just one large black and white room, the walls were painted black; the furniture of a three piece suite, a coffee table and a large marble fireplace were all a brilliant white. I saw that someone was sitting on the white couch dress in Gryffindor Quidditch robes. Slowly I walked towards them; my bare feet sent out the echoing sound of high heels on wooden floors, a low booming sound too loud to be caused by my light steps alone. As I continued to walk across the room, I suddenly feel as if I am now part of the TV show my big sister Jenny used to watch, Twin Peaks. As I got to the couch I reach out my hand slowly to touch the Quidditch player's shoulder. Before I can touch him he turns and it is Oliver. He stood and looked at me as if I didn't belong in this strange black and white room.  
  
"Katie, what are you doing here?" he asked as he came and stood before me, toe to toe. His eyes are large and look frightened; I can see tiny beads of sweat on his forehead.  
  
"Oliver; are you okay?" I asked. He looked terrified now as he takes my arm gently.  
  
"Oh Merlin, Katie she will be here soon. If she sees you. If she knows your muggle born. I can't loose you. I won't let her take you." He said more to someone else then me. I feel as if I have missed something important.  
  
"Oh you are wearing the bracelet, maybe she won't be cross then. Oh god I love you, I wish I could really tell you how much I love you." His voice is panicked and quick.  
  
"Oliver, you're scaring me." I said in a soft voice as he ushers me by the arm to a corner.  
  
"You are so very beautiful; I have only ever had eyes for you, from the very moment you ran me over with a trolley. I was so jealous when you were dating Cedric Diggory, I never thought I could compete with him. I know you only saw him for three weeks, but god those three weeks cut through me like knives. But you made love to me. I still can't believe how lucky and honoured I felt when you chose me to be your first. I always knew you would be mine. I waited for you. God I would never tell you that in the real world." He was clearly talking in a dream state, but it didn't explain why I was in his dream and who the she was that scared Oliver so much. I suddenly became aware of the footsteps of another person. They were growing louder and louder until I saw who was making them. To my surprise a tiny fierce looking old woman stood leaning on a cane, her face had more pock marks then anyone I had ever seen, it looked as if someone had picked pieces out of her face. Her eyes were cold and ice blue. She stood leaned over balancing on her cane.  
  
"Oliver! A mud blood in my house! What are you thinking? She will destroy you. You must leave her at once." The old woman screamed as she raised her old wand.  
  
"But grandmother!" Oliver protested trying to walk to the old woman.  
  
"I shall not have her here." The old woman screamed. Oliver stood in front of me his arms behind him holding me close to him. The old woman muttered a curse and blue light shot from her wand and hit Oliver. I felt him tense with pain and he fell to the ground.  
  
"See Mud Blood, you have destroyed him, he the last of the great Wood clan and you have destroyed him." The old witch cackled. I fell to my knees beside Oliver. I rested his head on my knees. He had a tiny trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth. His breathing was slow and shallow.  
  
"Katie, I am so sorry. I love you." He ran his hand over my cheek, I was crying and he wiped the tears away.  
  
"Know in the real world I would die for you." He said as he died in my arms. I sat there in the odd black and white room with him on my lap, dead. I knew it was a dream, but it felt so real, I closed Oliver's eyes and kissed his soft lips. Tears fell onto his still face.  
  
I woke crying and in Oliver's arms. I looked outside and saw that night had fallen. I looked at Oliver, who was still sleeping; his arms were knotted around me.  
  
"Oliver." I said trying to wake him. He woke slowly and smiled up at me.  
  
"God I had the most awful dream, I died in your arms." he said touching my face gently as if to make sure I was still there with him.  
  
"In a black and white room?" I asked; he looked at me oddly.  
  
"Yeah, my grandmother called you a, you-know-what. Then she"  
  
"Shot blue light out of her wand at you." I finished his sentence; he sat up and looked as puzzled and confused as I felt.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Oliver said as I felt tears well. I couldn't get the image of him dying in my arms out of my mind. I took a deep breath and he folded me into his arms.  
  
"Oliver, make love to me. I need to feel you." I whispered softly in his ear. He looked at me and ran his hand over my hair looking deep into my eyes. I think he felt the needed too. The nightmare had shaken us both, we needed the contact, the knowledge that we were still together, still near. He kissed me softly on the cheek and kissed my lips so softly it was like air. Slowly and gently he pulled the t-shirt off over my head revealing my white cotton bra, he smiled at me and took it off running his fingers under the band over my shoulder, he slipped it off and kissed my freshly exposed skin.  
  
When we were both naked we lay there for a while just looking at each other, casting each other to heart. Running tickling fingertips over curves and dips; mouths searching for each other's taste. Slowly he filled me again, and I felt so completely happy that moment knowing that everything would be fine. I was with Oliver, he would protect me. We made love slowly and gently as we savoured each of the fresh sensations that ran through our bodies. Unlike our first time, we spent much more time now just studying each other. Our eyes never broke contact as he filled me, as he kissed me. We didn't sleep when we finished, we lay there holding each other until dawn filled the room.  
  
"Why did we have the same dream?" he asked as he played with my knotted hair, I rolled onto my side and looked at him. I smiled as I see his rich brown eyes smile at me. Looking at him I know that I would never grow tired of looking at him. I ran my finger over his cheek softly, he needed a shave.  
  
"I don't know, but you mentioned the bracelet, the dream might have been another one of Dumas's tricks, this time she chose to bring you into it too." I said as I kissed him again.  
  
"You have to go back to Hogwarts tomorrow." Oliver said softly as he held me close to his naked body. I seem to fit like a missing piece that belonged to him, ying and yang, different yet the same; two parts joined together. Soul mates?  
  
"I know; this week has been eventful." I said softly as I feel him kissing me gently on my shoulder.  
  
"I know what you mean, but I wouldn't change what has happened between us. Would you?" he asked almost fearfully.  
  
"Not a single second of it. I love you Wood." I said smiling broadly at him.  
  
"Well Bell, as your former captain, as your boyfriend. I demand a letter everyday." He teased trying to sound as if he was giving me an order.  
  
"Demand, do you Wood?" I said rolling over arching my eyebrow expertly, sitting on his stomach. I smile down at him.  
  
"Oh yes, I demand it." He said smiling up at me as I pinned his arms beside his head.  
  
"Well then I have my own demands. Firstly, I demand a letter everyday also; secondly I demand to see you every Hogmeade weekend you can get away from Puddlemere." I said smiling down at him.  
  
"I think I can do that." He laughed as he rolled so he pinned me instead. He leant down and kissed me.  
  
"I love you Bell." He smiled as he looked down on me. His eyes were filled with love and adoration. I smiled as he just looked at me.  
  
"I love you Wood." I smiled as he kissed me again. 


	10. the first day at Hogwarts

I don't own any of the Harry Potter stuff here; if I did I would be living the high life with Sean Biggerstaff in a Scottish castle. Aww now there is a thought (  
  
CHAPTER 10  
  
"Do you remember that first time I saw you?" Oliver asked as he wrapped a strand of my hair around his finger. I smiled at him thinking about that morning when I was taken to the train station by my parents and Jenny. They had been a bit sceptical about the magical boundary to the platform. I stood there watching as two students vanished through it. I looked at my dad and took a deep breath. I nodded and he gave me a quick push and I ran towards the wall with my eyes closed. I had expected to slam right into the wall, instead what I had run into was soft and moaned in pain. When I opened my eyes I saw that I had run over a boy. I had run over Oliver. My first thoughts were that he was cute, my next that I had nearly killed him!  
  
"First year?" he said picking himself of the ground. I could feel myself burning red. I couldn't find words so I just nodded at him. I thought he would be angry at being run over, instead he smiled. My god he had the best smile.  
  
"That's okay, I knocked over a prefect my first time through." He smiled as he had come to my side.  
  
"Muggle born?" he asked as he helped me to push my trolley.  
  
"Muggle?" I asked I had heard people use that word on Diagon Alley but I hadn't wanted to ask what it was.  
  
"Non-magical parents?" he said smiling. I nod again; I must seem so stupid not knowing what Muggles are.  
  
"Don't worry; there are lots of muggle born kids in Hogwarts now. Here let me help you put these on the train and I shall tell you all you need to know about life at Hogwarts. I am Oliver Wood by the way. I'm just starting third year." He said smiling as he put my bags into an empty compartment.  
  
"I'm Katie Bell. I would love for you to explain some things to me." I had said as I sat across from him.  
  
"I'll start with Quidditch. You seem pretty light you could try out if you want, we need three new chasers, our last ones graduated last year." I spent the next half hour being taught how to play Quidditch. He told me all about the national teams and the international teams. I was totally engrossed with this sport.  
  
"I used to play basketball for my school, they kinda sound the same except there's only one ball and no broomsticks with basketball." I sighed. He laughed at that and I faked being insulted.  
  
"Well! It is quite hard sometimes; I shall have to get you to play it sometime." I said teasingly.  
  
"Then it's a deal, I shall teach you Quidditch and you shall teach me basketball." He laughed.  
  
"What house do you think you'll be in?" Oliver asked as he bought me some ever flavoured beans from the trolley.  
  
"I want to be in Gryffindor. It sounds really cool. Their supposed to be the best. What house are you in?" I asked as I savoured a milk chocolate bean.  
  
"Gryffindor. And I can tell you we are the best." He laughed. We spent the rest of the train journey just talking about things which I was surprised to know we had in common. His family had a farm, though his father didn't work it. Oliver told me about how he used to love going down into the fields and just staying down there helping the servants save the harvests. I had to explain to him I had no servants. He seemed to be embarrassed by the fact he had some. When the train reached the station I think he could hear me shaking with nerves. He came close to me and put his arm around me and smiled.  
  
"It's okay. Hagrid will bring you to the castle and I shall be there at the Gryffindor table. When you get sorted you can come sit next to me and I shall introduce you to everyone." He smiled. Even now his smile relaxes me. I was brought across the river with the Weasley twins who had wasted no time in planning pranks. I had been so happy to see them because I knew them from the village and I had often wandered over to them. I was surprised that I missed them at the platform. I think they were just as surprised to see me. The first thing they did when they saw me was rush over and one flanked me at each side their arms around my shoulder.  
  
"The terrible trio, that has a ring to it. Excellent. We have heard that you have been known to play a prank or two Miss Bell." They had laughed. As we stood at the doors of the great hall I saw the most handsome man I had ever seen in my life. I think the twins saw the look on my face; they turned to each other and rolled their eyes.  
  
"That's our brother Bill, he's in seventh year and god knows he is perfect." They said in a sing-song voice. I laughed as MacGonagall brought us into the hall to be sorted. Oliver waved to me from the table and I waved back. I had been wrong, Bill wasn't the most handsome man I had ever seen, Oliver Wood was. I was one of the first to be called up to sit on the three legged stool. Professor MacGonagall put the hat on my head and I nearly died when I heard it talking to me.  
  
"Aw this one is simply too easy to sort. She has the courage of a pride of lions and a heart as big as an ocean. I can only place her in GRYFFINDOR!" I heard a loud round of applause. I saw Oliver standing to applaud me. I winked at the twins as I went to sit with the Quidditch team.  
  
That had been the start of my Hogwarts life. 


	11. Sirius's letter and the Hogwarts express

I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter  
  
CHAPTER 11  
  
I woke again in Oliver's arms as he had me folded into him. I smiled as I lay there enjoying the warmth. But nature called and softly I eased out of his arms not waking him. As I came to the door I looked at Abby and Sirius asleep on the couch; holding onto each other. They looked so peaceful, yet they were fully dressed and ready to run if it was needed. I watched as Abby snuggled closer to Sirius and mummer into his chest. I could see that Sirius was smiling softly as he held her. I felt sorry for them now, they clearly loved each other and they couldn't be together. I sighed and tiptoed passed them to the bathroom. When I curled back into Oliver's arms I smiled when he tickled me.  
  
"Morning." He said his eyes still closed.  
  
"Good morning to you too." I said as I rolled over and faced him. I smiled as he kissed me sweetly. He looked at me with sleepy blood shot eyes and smiled. He was amazing. He smiled at me and kissed the top of my nose. I laughed as I tickled him.  
  
"It'll be strange waking up without you here?" he said as he ran his hand down my waist. I knew what he meant we had only shared a bed for the last four nights but it felt so right.  
  
"I know. We'll have to struggle though; Christmas isn't all that far away. You and Abby could come and have Christmas with us?" I said softly looking into his large chocolate eyes. I had never seen him smile so broad.  
  
"I would love too. We can spend new years in Hogsmead and you can come to one of my match's. Pity its only September." He said smiling at me. His fingertips were tracing pictures on my curves. He rolled me over onto my back and reached into the bed side table drawer beside me.  
  
"I bought you something else, don't worry I didn't buy it from any strange old woman." He said smiling as I looked at the small black jewellery box. I sighed as I opened the box and gasped as I saw the pendent of a glittering snitch and silver chain.  
  
"Oliver, you shouldn't have, it's beautiful." I said running it through my fingers. He smiled at my reaction as I sat up facing him. He took it out of the box and fastened the clasp around my neck.  
  
"When the girls at Hogwarts hear about how sweet you are to me, they'll kill me." I joked.  
  
"Why?" he asked softly, I have to laugh at the way he had failed to notice how nearly every girl in the school had a soft spot for the Scottish Keeper. I leant forward and kissed him. He watched me from the bed as I got up and started to get ready to go back to school. I could feel his eyes on me as I repacked my trunk and posted an owl to my parents telling them I was safe. I didn't want to tell them about Dumas, they were already worried about he-who-shall-not-be-named and he wasn't even after me. If they knew that someone was actually out to get me they would worry too much.  
  
"Do you really have to go back today?" he said as he came up behind me as I packed the trunk, his arms snaked around my waist and he spun me around to face him. I smiled, he really didn't want me to go, I really didn't want to leave him either.  
  
"You know Dumas is still out there, we could ask Dumbledore to let you go back later when it's all sorted." He said as he smelt my hair.  
  
"I think it would be best if Miss Bell went back to Dumbledore, he is the one that may be able to sort this whole thing out." A voice came from the door. Sirius. He didn't look half as creepy as he had in the papers; in fact he looked very well. I couldn't believe looking at him in his white shirt and black jeans that he had spent the last twelve years in the worst jail on earth. He was still thin, but I think by his build he has always been thin. I nodded at him and he came and sat at the desk away from the window.  
  
"Katie, that woman didn't only ruin my life, she is responsible for the deaths of the Potter's, and poor Harry's scar as much as Voldemort. She will show you things that seem like the future, things you want to see, things you want to avoid. But she can't tell the future. If she can she uses it for her own good and not yours."  
  
"How did you get away from her?" I asked curious as to how his story with Dumas ended.  
  
"I went to Azakaban." Was his short terrifying answer, I feel Oliver hold on to me tighter. Sirius stood and left the room then as I heard Abby call us for breakfast.  
  
"I won't let anything happen to you." I heard Oliver whisper as he kissed my neck.  
  
I didn't eat much, I couldn't eat not after being told that the only way Sirius got away from Dumas was to go to jail. As I was being to move my things to the door Sirius came to me again.  
  
"Katie, you know Harry Potter don't you? I was wondering if I could get you to give this to him." Sirius said as he handed me a small letter. I nodded and put it in my pocket.  
  
"Thanks it will mean a lot to him. It mean's a lot to me." He said as he went back to the kitchen to Abby. I smiled as Oliver came back to my side. He looked sad as he floated my trunk behind him.  
  
"Katie, its time to go." Abby called as I saw her kiss Sirius goodbye and then he vanished with a pop. I saw as she wiped a stray tear and she quickly tried to look happy.  
  
"Where did he go?" I asked as we went into the street.  
  
"I don't know, that's the way it has to be. It keeps him safe." She sighed as Oliver held my hand as we went to Muggle London. We hailed a taxi and went to the train station. Oliver and I went through the barrier together and Abby followed.  
  
"Katie, it is important that you tell Dumbledore everything you have seen."  
  
"Emm Abby, do you know anything about joint dreams?" I asked, I had to the memory of Oliver dying in my arms had been haunting me.  
  
"Why?" she asked suspiciously looking from me to Oliver.  
  
"Remember Grandma Wood? Well I, we shared the same dream of her living room, remember the black and white room? She insulted Katie then shot a blue light from her wand, and I." Oliver stopped and looked at me.  
  
"And I died in Katie's arms. She had the exact same dream, what does it mean? Does it mean anything?" he asked looking at his hands.  
  
"I don't know, but I seriously think that this could turn into a case for the department of Mysteries. I'll have to do some digging to find more about joint dreams. Katie can ask Dumbledore." Abby sighed. The Hogwarts express let out a loud blast of its horn to announce that it was about to leave. I hugged Abby goodbye and thanked her before turning to Oliver.  
  
"Be careful at Puddlemere, okay. I'll see you at Halloween, there should be a Hogsmead weekend then." I said as he kissed me goodbye.  
  
"You too be careful, write to me if Dumas does anything, I mean anything." He said holding me tight to him.  
  
"Love you Bell."  
  
"Love you Wood." I said kissing him passionately, I heard Alicia and Angelina giggle and clap and the Weasley twins pretend to gag but I didn't care, I just wanted the kiss to last forever. Unfortunately it had to and I climbed onto the train. I watched and waved at Oliver until he was out of sight. I turned around and saw the two chasers and two beaters giving me a sly look.  
  
"Have a nice summer Katie?" Alicia laughed. I sighed and went to them and told them all that had happened to me during my summer.  
  
"So, you got this really, incredibly expensive bracelet but its cursed or something and your being haunted by this strange spectre thingy. God girl." Angelina said looking at the wizard diamonds.  
  
"Still, you and Oliver. That's one we saw coming since well forever." Alicia laughed as the twins looked disgusted.  
  
"Hey did anyone hear who our new captain is?" Fred said trying to change the subject. With all that had happened since I went to see Oliver I had almost forgotten I was the new Gryffindor Captain and that I was to keep it quite because there was no Quidditch this year.  
  
"I don't know. I heard there is something going on in the school this year, do any off you guys know what it is?" I said, I didn't like lying to them but MacGonagall had told me not to tell.  
  
"Yeah, Percy was trying to get us to ask about it, apparently its top secret but we'll find out later at the feast. Merlin! I nearly killed Percy this summer. He is getting worse since he went to work in the ministry!" George said, I think he was glad to get away from the whole boy talk.  
  
"Have any of you seen Harry?" I asked feeling the letter in my pocket.  
  
"Yeah, he's two carriages down." Fred said as he tucked some fireworks in his bag. I shook my head and left the carriage. I was stopped half way down the carriage by Cedric Diggory.  
  
"Hi Katie. You are looking great. Did you have a nice summer?" he asked softly. We had dated for a little while before the end of term but we had decided that it was best to be just friends. I had to admit that he was very good looking, what was it about Quidditch captains well except for Flint they were all good looking.  
  
"Hi Cedric, yeah I had a pretty cool summer. I missed the world cup though. I went to Norway with my sister and her boyfriend."  
  
"Oh yeah I remember you telling me you were doing that. I bet it was amazing though. I met Wood at the world cup, he was there with some blonde."  
  
"that was his Aunt Abby. Norway was great but I felt like such a third wheel you know, Jenny kept asking about whether or not I had a boyfriend and who was the last guy I was seeing."  
  
"Jenny, I met her didn't I, she's tall with black hair? I hope you told her that I was devilishly handsome." He said teasingly.  
  
"Oh of course I told her you were just dreamy." I said matching his teasing tone. His laugh was great; I remembered why we always got along.  
  
"Have you got a new captain yet, or am I talking to her?" he said. I nodded.  
  
"Congratulations Kate." He said giving me a hug, I felt sort of uncomfortable but smiled at him.  
  
"Yeah but I have to keep it quite, MacGonagall doesn't want anyone else to know. Did you get a letter about something going on at the school this year." I asked.  
  
"Yeah I am glad Wood is gone, the letter would have probably killed him."  
  
"It nearly did, when I showed him he nearly passed out." I sighed remembering the look on Oliver's face.  
  
"Did you see a lot of Wood this summer?" Cedric asked looking at his hands.  
  
"A little, we have started going out." I sighed playing with the silver snitch Oliver had given me.  
  
"I always knew you and Wood would be good together. I hope you are happy together." I can't help but feel his heart wasn't in the statement. Boys!  
  
"I am really sorry but I have to find Harry. I'll talk to you later, Okay?" I said as I squeezed past him.  
  
"I'll see you later Katie." Cedric sighed as I ducked into the carriage where Harry was sitting.  
  
"Hey Harry, can I talk to you for a moment in private?" I said, I saw Harry shrug at Ron Weasley but he came out into the hall with me. I took the letter from my pocket.  
  
"I met an old friend of yours this week, he wanted me to give you this." I said handing Harry the envelope. He looked at it and his eyes widened.  
  
"Where did you get this?" he said looking around to make sure no one was listening.  
  
"I needed help this week and Sirius was helping me. He really is innocent isn't he?" Harry wasn't listening instead he was happily looking at the swirling letters on the paper.  
  
"Thanks Katie. I owe you one." He said as he dashed back into the carriage holding the letter close. 


	12. back to school

CHAPTER 12  
  
Hey,  
  
Its late, maybe some people would think it's early. Its 3am. I can't sleep, its strange not having you here with me. I roll over and expect to find you there. So now I am in the owlery in my pyjamas writing to you. I know that you are asleep. You have training tomorrow and I shall choose to be cross with you if you are missing vital sleep because of me. I don't know if I am writing this because it is giddy energy I have because I haven't slept or what. I just wanted to say I love you. I know I only saw you this morning - or is it yesterday morning, it feels like this morning to me. But I miss you already.  
  
I found out why there is no Quidditch, there is a Triwizard Tournament with two other schools coming to take part in it. It actually sounds exciting. But I still wish I could put on my scarlet robes and lead the team out onto the field like I want to. I wish you were here with me.  
  
It feels so weird to be back here in Hogwarts, I love it but I love your little flat too. Everyone misses you, they all send their best. Tell Abby that I haven't been able to see Dumbledore yet, but MacGonagall is arranging for me to see him during the week. Dumas can't touch me in the castle anyway, it's far too magically protected for that but they told me not to take the bracelet off - as if I planned too! I have a feeling that this bracelet and I have a long future together, thank god it's pretty.  
  
Mum and Dad have no idea about Dumas but that's for the best, I don't want to worry them, they worry enough about you-know-who and they aren't even wizards. It must be really hard for them you know, they wouldn't know how to protect me if he came back, god I just felt a shiver, I try to explain to them that I will be fine, but you remember when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, I told them about that and they were so scared, muggle born students attacked it was their worst nightmare.  
  
I miss you. I love you. I want you. I need you. I can still taste you, I can still smell your aftershave and shampoo. My senses tell me you are here with me but my arms know that you are still in London. I'd love to see you fly tomorrow in you Puddlemere robes. Classes start again here soon, lord in a matter of hours. My first is with MacGonagall, she is so happy with me though, being the new captain and the fact she still has claim on the Quidditch cup for another year thanks to its suspension this year.  
  
I love you.  
  
Katie.  
  
I smiled as I watched the owl vanish into the night sky. I wrapped the blanket I had with me around my shoulders and I went back to my dorm where the other girls were sleeping soundly. I couldn't forget how the last time I had woke it had been in his arms. They had been warm and comforting around my naked body and now I was alone in the cold dorm bed. Slowly though my eyelids became heavier until I was at last asleep. I hadn't dreamt since I had seen Oliver die in my arms, I never even fell into a deep sleep but now I was tucked under the heavy down blanket in the knowledge that Dumas was unable to touch me while I was safe in Hogwarts I let myself dream again of Quidditch and dark haired babies with chocolate eyes and Scottish accents. I was dreaming about the family Oliver and I might one day have when I suddenly saw the little old woman again, Dumas! She stood at the end of a long gravel path. I stood and looked at her, Oliver and our children didn't seem to see her but I did and I stood and went to the end of the path as if pushed by an invisible hand.  
  
"Katie, you have seen so much and yet you have learnt nothing. I shall have to step up the showings if you are to prevent the greatest regret of both your lives." Her voice was again as if she was simply a kindly old woman. I looked at her and I felt the anger building in me.  
  
"You have showed me nothing that I would ever regret. Why do you choose to pick on me!" I said through clenched teeth.  
  
"I choose you to help you and my dear YOU were not the only one I choose - two stood into my shop. I should show the both of you if I am to prevent him from hurting you." She said again in her kindly manner.  
  
"Oliver would never ever hurt me."  
  
"I never said it was Oliver that would hurt you my dear now did I?" she said softly as she vanished. I stood looking at the spot she had stood in and took a deep breath, she was right, she had never said Oliver was the one that would hurt me I had presumed that. I turned and saw Oliver waving at me, our youngest child clinging to him as an older child played on a toy broomstick, was this my dream or something Dumas was giving me, another glimpse like the Yule Ball, which I knew now for a fact was coming. When I woke Angelina and Alicia were already up and getting dressed. I dragged myself from my bed and went into the bathroom where I took a shower trying to remember each syllable Dumas had said to me. I sat through MacGonagall's class waiting for her to finish telling us the course we had to cover for the year; while all I wanted was to tell her and Dumbledore about the dream. How had Dumas gotten to me? I thought that Hogwarts was safe. But I asked myself was anywhere safe now, you-know-who had gotten in a couple of years back, carried 'lovingly' by Quirrle, Tom Riddle had managed to get Ginny Weasley to open the chamber of Secrets and last year Sirius Black got into the school. If he could get in maybe anyone could. I hardly noticed when the class ended and the others stood putting their books and quills away. I stood and put my things away and waved Alicia and Angelina on as I went to talk with MacGonagall. I stood before her large desk which was covered in sheets and notes. She was writing away furiously and didn't notice me standing there; I cleared my throat and she looked up at me.  
  
"Miss Bell?" she said looking at me with eyes I knew could see all.  
  
"Last night I fell asleep and I dreamt."  
  
"One generally does Miss Bell." MacGonagall said as she turned her attention back to the pile of sheets.  
  
"No Professor, Dumas came to me again." The quill fell from MacGonagall's hand and her lips pursed together. She looked up at me and fixed her glasses.  
  
"What did she say or do?" I had never heard such a tone come from the old professor before. I told her everything that had happened in my dream and how Dumas had said she would begin to show us both what was in store. But now a lingering question came to me. If Oliver wasn't the one that would hurt me; who was? 


	13. tutoring

Chapter 13  
  
I opened his letter and smiled as I looked at the small slightly slanted writing. I had received a letter from him every morning since I had come back. It was like clockwork, I would finish my cornflakes and then the post owl would drop his letter onto my lap. Alicia and Angelina would take this time to talk with Fred and George so I could absorb every syllable Oliver wrote.  
  
"Darling Katie,  
  
The season started this morning, we won! We caught the snitch in record time; though I think Harry may have been able to catch it even quicker! I wish you could have been here. The flat seems so much colder when you are not here. But at least Halloween is only six days away. I can't wait, six more days and I shall get to kiss you again.  
  
Love you so much. I can't wait to hold you again....." I stopped when a shadow draped over me. I folded the letter and held it between my thumb and forefinger. I turned around and saw Cedric standing right behind me. There was a spare seat on the bench beside me. I nodded and he sat beside me his back to the table. Now that he was the school champion in the tournament everyone boy and girl envied him, I however didn't, I had wanted to enter for the school champion but I was just a month to young. I wondered how Harry had got his name in the goblet and why he was picked. I knew Ron Weasley wasn't speaking with Harry and I saw how that hurt them both. But jealousy worked like that. Ron was jealous of Harry's fame, Harry was jealous of Ron's family life and normality, both would trade places in a heart beat.  
  
"Hi." He said as he looked at the letter in my hand.  
  
"Wood?" he said nodding at it. I nodded and blushed a little. For some reason I always felt awkward talking about Oliver with him.  
  
"He's very lucky. I hope he knows that." Cedric sighed as he leaned back resting his elbows on the table, I wondered was he referring to the fact that Oliver was starting his Pro-Quidditch career or that he had me. Some of the other Gryffindor's watched, it was unusual for a Ravenclaw to sit with us and even more curious was the fact that Cedric Diggory was sitting at it talking to me.  
  
"Katie, I was wondering if, if you could help me. It's just that I haven't been sleeping that well and as you and I are in the same Charms class and Potions that maybe we could study together, with all this school championship thing going on I feel I am falling behind. Could you help me?" he asked, I looked at him as if to say 'why me?' and he pulled a puppy dog face. I smiled and shook my head, I gave in.  
  
"Great. You are an absolute doll. We could meet at half eleven in the library."  
  
"Half eleven?" I said raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, we are both prefects we can do the rounds together and then we are allowed to do some study. Percy and Penny used to do it all the time." he smiled. I could feel myself go red and I sighed. I glanced down the breakfast table and saw all the students suddenly become very interested in their boiled eggs.  
  
"Fine, but I have to see Dumbledore while on rounds, is that okay?" I said as I played with the letter in my hands, Oliver didn't know about the dreams. I had now had the same dream every night since I had come back to school which was now almost two months; it never changed even in the slightest gesture. Tonight Dumbledore had promised me answers. I also expected when I went to his office to find Abby and perhaps even Sirius. I often wondered how they both were. Were they able to carry on their affair? Did they send each other the sly love letter? Did they meet on some secluded beach on a deserted island? Sometimes when I couldn't sleep and I had already wrote Oliver a three page back and front letter I would ponder over the Sirius/ Abby affair.  
  
"Great, I have been called to see him too, some thing to do with the tournament I think. So I'll meet you before rounds, say here?" he said standing. I smiled and nodded.  
  
"Excellent, seriously Bell you are an absolute doll for this and when I win the tournament I shall buy you and Wood a big dinner in a swanky Muggle restaurant." Cedric said as he went back to his house table.  
  
"What did he want?" Alicia asked as if she hadn't heard every word he had just said.  
  
"Tutoring." I sighed going back to the love letter I had only half read before Cedric joined me. I couldn't wait six more days! I wanted Oliver here with me now.  
  
"You are tutoring Cedric?" Angelina said with more then just a hint of surprise. I looked at her and sighed, it had dawned on me since Cedric had left. Why would he really need me to tutor him out of all people! I wasn't the smartest I wasn't even close to being the smartest! Alicia looked over her best friends shoulder and she raised an eyebrow as I knew I did.  
  
"What would Wood think?" Alicia said in a teasing tone. What would Oliver think? Now I wished that phones worked and that he could work one. This was something I needed to talk to him about. 


	14. explanations

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing  
  
Chapter 14  
  
I waited outside Dumbledore's office. Cedric was on his way to talk to the old headmaster too. I had to smile as he swept around the corner his school robes floating on the wind as if it was a cape on a great superhero. I was surprised to see that none of his fawning fans had followed him, he seemed surprised by the reaction of the girls in the school but I wasn't, I had nearly been lynched while we had dated, even Slytherin girls loved Cedric. He saw the grin on my face and he bowed over dramatically.  
  
"At your service milady." He said as he rose from his bow. I shook my head and turned to the door way of the office. MacGonagall had told me to knock three times and the door would be opened from the inside. So I knocked and with the slow grinding of stone on stone the door opened to reveal Dumbledore's vast office which seemed to be filled with an assortment of odd and fascinating object I wouldn't even know to name. On a large perch in the corner near the ornate desk a flame coloured bird sang a hypnotic verse which was like no other bird song I had ever heard before.  
  
"I am glad to see you have caught Fawkes in a good mood, the song of the phoenix is a rare sound and a sign of luck they say. Come in Miss Bell and Mr Diggory and take a seat." I could hear Dumbledore but I could not see him. But Cedric and I sat in two high backed red cushioned chairs, which seemed to suck us into the soft cushions.  
  
"I have called you both here for a grave matter. I am afraid I have some important information on our Madam Dumas." Dumbledore appeared wearing royal blue robes which seemed to have a thousand stars twinkling on it. He sat in his chair and faced both of us.  
  
"Dumas? Who is that?" Cedric asked, he turned to me but I was in no state to answer him, I could feel the roast beef I had for dinner churning and all the blood in my face drain away. Cedric cast his gaze from me to Dumbledore and back again to me. I could feel his eyes searching me for an answer but I had none to give.  
  
"Cedric you have not been sleeping well lately? Why?" Dumbledore asked but by his tone I knew he already knew why Cedric was suffering from insomnia.  
  
"Nightmares. But all the champions have them, the first task is soon and merlin knows what that will be." Cedric said. Nightmares.  
  
"Oliver is having nightmares too you know." Dumbledore said turning to me for the first time.  
  
"I know, we have shared one." I said, but the voice that came out of my mouth did not sound like it belonged to me at all. It was hallow and shell shocked.  
  
"That was more then a nightmare, that was fear, his fear. He is still afraid that his family will turn on you. Yet he wants to protect you. He is a good man. And he loves you a great deal." I heard an unsaid but in the headmaster's voice and it had my skin tingling with fear. Dumbledore stood and came to stand right before us and the desk. I had almost forgotten Cedric was there.  
  
"But?" I said softly. The headmaster looked at me and the Cedric.  
  
"But Dumas has to be explained first. She was once a student here, centuries ago when the founders were still alive. She was a great seer. She never once was wrong. She was a student in Ravenclaw and a descendent of one of our current Ravenclaw -students Mr Diggory. It is all about you and Mr Diggory."  
  
"ME and Cedric! All this, the mirrors, the bracelet its all about me and Cedric!" I said in shock.  
  
"Yes, apparently Dumas has taken a shine to you, Katie when you were both going out. She wants you to help continue the blood line."  
  
"But she's a spectre?"  
  
"She wasn't always; it was upon her graduation she went to work in the fledgling ministry. She was one of the first to work in the top secret department. She was in an accident and she was turned into a spectre, a creature sent to live on the souls of others but her other powers were also there that helped her help those on the wrong path as she calls it. That's why she gave you the robes. They are the wedding robes." Dumbledore said softly.  
  
"Cedric, I do love you but not like that I am in love with Oliver." I said turning to the other Quidditch captain. He nodded but seemed a little upset by my readily admission that I loved Oliver more.  
  
"I'm so glad to hear that." A Scottish accent came from behind a bookshelf and I nearly cried when Oliver came into the room. I stood and I ran to him throwing my arms around him. I drank in his scents greedily as I held onto his neck. I could feel his large hands rubbing my back as I held him and I cried. I had missed him even more then I had even known.  
  
"Oh Katie, I love you." He whispered as he kissed my cheek and hands which were trembling hard. He came and sat on the chair I had been sitting on and I sat on his lap, I couldn't believe I was actually with Oliver again. 


	15. library talks

Disclaimer: again I own nothing.  
  
A/N: Okay I got a little mixed up with which house Cedric was in. Forgive me but when I wrote it I didn't have the books to hand and it was a 50/50 chance I would get it right but I didn't. So can you just pretend for this story he is a Ravenclaw? Also I would love to thank everyone who has written a review. Please keep reading and reviewing my stories which are slowly growing. At the moment I am trying to work on a Sirius/Abby, one what do you think a prequel and an aftermath to their story right up until after OoTP? I'll be updating this as often as possible but I am back at university so it will be mainly weekend updates. Love you all Eisa XXXX  
  
CHAPTER 15.  
  
I couldn't help but keep my eyes on Oliver as we sat together. He was actually here with me. His hands were circling my waist and I couldn't help but feel them tighten as he looked over at Cedric. I had to smile at his hints of jealousy he knew I hoped that it was only him I wanted, the man I wanted forever.  
  
"I missed you." He whispered softly in my ear as I looked over at Dumbledore who was smiling in a manner only he could.  
  
"Perhaps we shall finish this tomorrow. Mr Wood can go to the guest quarters in the western tower. I think it is time we all retired to our beds. Mr Diggory I hope you now can sleep easier."  
  
"Easier? How will I sleep easier knowing I have some odd old relation out to find me a wife?" I heard Cedric mutter, I was pretty sure Cedric would get very little sleep tonight. Looking at Oliver I was sure I wasn't!  
  
I walked Oliver to where he was staying and stood outside the door. His hand was working up my arm tickling the soft skin at the joint of my elbow. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to, I drew closer to him slowly but yet almost instantly, our eyes never left each others, and his seemed dark and smoky. I knew I wanted to be with him then.  
  
"I've missed you so much." He said as he kissed my neck. I couldn't help but feel as if I was floating whenever he kissed me.  
  
"Miss Bell, I do hope you are just about to head back to your dorm." Professor MacGonagall's voice broke me from the spell Oliver's lips were casting upon me and I turned to face my teacher feeling my face burn red, my ears even felt if they were on fire.  
  
"Of course Professor, I was just leaving now." I said a little to quickly as I brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. I turned to Oliver and sighed, the night would have to wait for another time when we really could be alone together.  
  
"Well then Miss Bell of you go and I shall ask the fat lady if you have gone back to your dorm." The old professor said as she began her way back down the hall. I took a deep breath and looked back into Oliver's big brown eyes.  
  
"I'll see you in the morning?" I asked, I didn't know whether or not he had to leave early for practise or not.  
  
"Of course." He smiled as he kissed me goodnight. I watched him go up to his room and smiled as I turned and walked back to the common room. It was just so very nice to be under the same roof as him again. As I walked back I had to pass the library and I sighed as I saw a light on in the restricted section. I as a prefect was obliged to check out anything awry that went on after dark. So I went into the library expecting to find either Madam Prinse or Hermione Granger. I found neither. I stood at the end of the long row of tall bookshelves and watched the broad shadow sit against the stack and he sat there perfectly still a book open on his lap but I doubted he could even see it in the dim light that lit the aisle.  
  
"Cedric?" I said softly, he looked up and I saw for the first time the dark rings that surrounded his eyes, obviously the thought of the first task was indeed making him lose sleep. I went and I sat down next to him, but he said nothing for about half an hour.  
  
"Why didn't we work out Kate?" he asked suddenly, the sound of his voice seemed unusual breaking the solemn silence we had been sharing.  
  
"I don't know, perhaps it was just because we were to different, we wanted different things." I said shrugging my shoulders, it was true, I could think of no valid reason for why Cedric and I had split up, but obviously there had been one.  
  
"I'm afraid Kate; people have died in this tournament before. I'm only seventeen." His voice wasn't that I had expected, it was timid and frightened. I looked at him and for the first time I saw fear in his eyes.  
  
"You won't die, Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen to you or anyone else." I said but I couldn't tell if I was convincing or not. The thought now entered my head either Harry or Cedric could have an accident in the tournament and die. How would the world cope with the lose of Harry Potter, how would I cope with the lose of Cedric? No matter what happened I would love Cedric as one of my best friends and I valued his company dearly. He stood now and straightened his robes.  
  
"Do you want me to walk you back to your common room?" he asked as he helped me to my feet. I shook my head and played with the snitch pendent as I contemplated life without Cedric to talk to. Suddenly as we reached the door of the library a violent cramp over came me and my knees buckled. I would have fallen except for Cedric, who caught me around the waist and lifted me into his arms.  
  
"I'm taking you straight to the hospital wing." He said but his voice sound as if he was a thousand miles away and underwater.  
  
"Oliver." I gasped as I slipped further under the water I felt which was pressing me down and I was going to be lost to the sea.  
  
There was a blinding flash of pale blue light and I felt my lungs fill with air as if I had indeed been deep under water. But when I opened my eyes I was not in the hospital wing safe in a Hogwarts bed, no I was standing in what can only be described as an expanse of pale blue. I was dressed in the pale blue dress robes which I had bought in Madam Dumas's shop in Diagon Alley. The silver rope belt was tided a little to tight for my liking but wouldn't loosen when I tried to fix it. The air was still but the robes seemed to be caught in a gale and were whipping at my legs.  
  
"You and I are friends aren't we my dear Miss Bell?" Dumas appeared to me again in the guise of the beautiful young woman.  
  
"Why can't you ever leave me alone? Cedric doesn't want me, I don't want him. Why can't you just let me go?"  
  
"Let you go! My dear you were the one who came to me! Remember, you were the one who came into my shop. You were the one who looked into the Mirrors of Avalon. What you saw I am most curious to learn but I shan't ask. You are the one who wears the bracelet. My dear you chose me." She said as she circled me like a shark does an injured seal, her low voice echoing in the vastness of the expanse.  
  
"No I did not choose this. All I want is a normal life. I want to be happy. I want Oliver."  
  
"You shall never have him." A new low hissing voice called from some unseen corner of the vacuum where we stood. The voice sent icy shivers through me as I slowly turned to see who else was there. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw who the new figure was standing there tall and slender.  
  
"You!" I gasped as I felt my heart freeze. 


	16. the hospital wing

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all. Poor me! (*cries small tear*  
  
Chapter 16. The Hospital Wing  
  
"What are you doing here?" I said hoping my voice sounded stronger then I felt.  
  
"I want my son back. Why else would I bother with a mud blood like you?" Diablo Wood hissed as he and his wife approached me slowly; their bodies moved liked snakes, weaving in and out waiting to strike me with their poisonous venom.  
  
"You'll never get him back. He's too good for you." I said as I forced the words from my throat with a strength I was beginning to recognise as my own.  
  
"We'll see, won't we? We saw you with Cedric in the library, very cosy. Dumas has planted enough in the boy's heads to make them question you. By the end of the school year, I will destroy you mark my words Mud blood."  
  
"I tried to warn you Katie, you had your chance to turn away but now alas you are doomed." Dumas said softly as she twirled her long hair in her fingers.  
  
"Of you go then back to the school. But you only have six months left. Then this shall all be over, one way or another." Dumas said softly as she waved her hands and the pale blue seemed to grow navy and then black. The ocean seemed to again swallow me whole and I slid under the crescent waves. I slowly became aware of noises and voices around me; dull hushed voices I knew were frantic with concern for me.  
  
"How could this happen in the school?" Cedric asked as I kept my eyes shut, still to weak to open them. I could hear Dumbledore take in a lung full of air in a manner I wished but still could not.  
  
"It is unclear; it is unprecedented that a student has been attacked in this fashion in the school." His hushed voice said as I slowly opened my eyes. Three people stood around my bed, Cedric, Dumbledore and Oliver. Oliver stood silently gazing down on me, his skin was pasty white and dark rings were prominent under his eyes. How long had I been out? It only felt like moments. But the dim sunlight told me it must be at least late afternoon. I could see his mouth curl in a smile of relief as my eyes opened slowly.  
  
"Hey." He whispered softly as he took my hand.  
  
"You're starting to frighten me Bell." He whispered as he ran his hand over my hair softly. I looked up into his dark eyes and smiled, I had never been so happy to see him; I wanted to reach up and kiss him, but my body still felt like lead. I smiled up at him and sighed as he leant over and kissed me. Thoughts of his father flashed in my mind. Did they want Oliver back because he was their son and they loved him? Or was it that they wanted him to be unhappy? Cedric came to my bed side and I saw the concern deep in his eyes as well. But I was worried for him; I did not want him to be worrying about me while he waited for his first task.  
  
"Kate, you really scared me." He said his voice trembled as he took a seat on the opposite side of Oliver. Now both men were sitting on my bed, Oliver to my right and Cedric to my left.  
  
"Gentlemen, I feel we must let Miss Bell get some rest, or at least let her get her speech back. I shall call you back when she is ready to see you both." Dumbledore said softly as he clapped his hands together softly. Looking at Dumbledore I knew he was holding onto some fact that he wasn't ready to share with the two men by my side. Both Oliver and Cedric rose and left silently both also casting backward glances at me as they left. I winked at them both and then I was left alone with the head master.  
  
"Miss Bell, are you aware of how long you have been 'asleep'?" he asked taking the chair next to my bed. I thought for a second before I answered.  
  
"A day?" I guessed.  
  
"My dear child you have been asleep over two weeks." He said softly. Two weeks! That wasn't possible, I felt as if I had just left the library. So I had missed the first task. A sudden relief hit me, Cedric had been there by my bedside, and he hadn't gotten hurt.  
  
"Mr Diggory did us proud. Though I feel his mind was more with you then the dragon."  
  
"Dragon?" I said but I didn't expect an answer.  
  
"How did she get me in the school sir?" I asked at last. I had thought I was safe while I was in Hogwarts but it seemed that Dumas would get me no matter where I went; looking down at the bracelet I had the sudden urge to rip it of and throw it deep into the lake.  
  
"We do not know. Maybe it is the diamonds; we have never had such a collection together. You know that bracelet is worth more then half of Scotland, the wizard diamonds are powerful talismans. Even I have never seen such a gathering of stones as this. They may cause her to have powers unrivalled." Dumbledore said softly as if he was admitting defeat. He-who- shan't-be-named was frightened of Dumbledore and now this great wizard was being outdone by a bracelet!  
  
"Sir I am frightened. I want to go back to normal." I said softly as I turned the bracelet in my hands. The head master took a deep breath and looked at me with his twinkling eyes.  
  
"I know child, but don't fret. Abby Wood and your other friend are busy trying to solve this. Abby will no doubt get results she always does in the end." He said trying to sound more cheerful. I tried to smile but couldn't. Abby hadn't proved Sirius innocent. God I wanted to ask Sirius more about Dumas and why and how she had got to him, I doubted it was the bracelet that was the common link. There had to be a link between me and Sirius and I felt that once I found that I would find the way to bring this to some sort of conclusion.  
  
"This will all be over soon." He added as he rose from the chair. I couldn't help but fear the coming year. What would Diablo Wood have in store for me? 


	17. The Breakfast Of Champions

CHAPTER 17.  
  
The Breakfast Of Champions.  
  
I left the hospital wing a day later and went to see Oliver who was still anxious about my attack in the school. He was sitting near the fire in the common room talking with Fred and George Weasley. When they saw me coming the two twins came and threw their arms around me.  
  
"Kat it hasn't been the same. We've tried to prank but it just isn't the same without you to watch and put out the fires. I nearly lost an eyebrow the other day." Fred said as he felt his left eyebrow to make sure it was in fact there. I smiled and assured them that I would indeed always be there from now on to put out the fires and help clean up the puss from whatever they invented next. The two Weasley's left contented knowing I was safe and well. I stood and watched Oliver stand by the amber glow of the high blazing fire.  
  
"Katie, god we thought you died. You barely breathe and then you went so cold. I really thought I had lost you this time." he said as he cupped my face in his hands.  
  
"I know." I whispered as I folded myself into his arms.  
  
"I love you so much Katie. I don't think I could cope losing you." He whispered as he held me close.  
  
"I love you too." I whispered as I kissed his softly. It felt amazing to be in his arms again, it was like I was finally home and safe out of a blizzard.  
  
"I have to go back to work tomorrow. But Christmas isn't that far off. Your parents have invited Abby and me for dinner, so I'll see you then I suppose. But you'll get my morning letter with your cornflakes as normal. Unless of course you don't want me to go?"  
  
"Don't be daft, you go back to Quidditch. I'll be fine. Promise." I sighed as I ran my fingers over his face which seemed lined with worry. I smiled and kissed him. We sat together before the warm fire until I fell asleep in his arms. When I woke he was gone and a note was resting beside me.  
  
Katie,  
  
Sorry I didn't wake you, but you looked so peaceful. I'll see you soon. Remember I love you. Please let me know if anything happens, by Merlin I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. Be careful my love.  
  
Yours forever Oliver.  
  
I smiled as I tucked the note into my pocket. I stretched and headed to the girls dorm for a shower. As I was going up the stairs I ran into Hermione Granger. Hermione and I were, well we were sort of friends, we would sit in the library and study together and we would sometimes talk about boys, or should I say I would listen to her rant on about what Ron Weasley did this week to annoy her. I always thought there was a deeper meaning under her ranting then annoyance.  
  
"Katie, are you okay? I heard you took an awful fall of your broom?" she asked, I looked at her puzzled for a second before it dawned on me that the teachers had told everyone I had had an accident.  
  
"Oh yeah, a bit groggy but I'll be fine." I said smiling. She smiled and told me she would talk to me later and began to mutter something to herself about Viktor Krum. I smiled and sighed, I had totally forgotten the fact that two other schools were visiting us at Hogwarts.  
  
I showered and went down to breakfast. It was late and the hall was nearly empty as most students on a Saturday had late breakfasts, by my watch it was still only half seven in the morning. A few students sat at the Gryffindor table but only one person sat at the Ravenclaw, Cedric. I watched as he sat hunched over his cereal, his shoulders drooped as if in some silent defeat. I sighed and worried for him now more then I worried for myself. I picked up my French toast and took it to his table.  
  
"Hey can I sit with you?" I asked, he turned and nodded, his eyes were still sunk and I wondered how the first task had gone for him. I sat next to him and watched as he pushed the cereal around in his bowl and how the milk had already dried into it. How long had he been sitting here?  
  
"I haven't been sleeping that well. Not since. god Kate I really thought you died right here in my arms." He held out his two arms before him as if I still lay there lifeless in his arms. His eyes seemed to fill with tears as he looked at his empty hands, but I knew in his eyes I was still there, barely breathing and limp. I put my hand on his shoulder, comforting the stricken champion.  
  
"I'm okay Cedric, really." I sighed as he turned to look at me, he really did have more to worry about then me. I didn't want him to get distracted and hurt.  
  
"I heard you did us proud." I smiled, changing the subject drastically.  
  
"Not as proud as Harry made us." Cedric sighed; I couldn't tell if the remark was tinted with barbs of resentment against the young Gryffindor. True I had heard what Harry had done and I was proud, but he was Harry Potter, we expected little less then perfection from him. I often watched him in the common room and noticed how ordinary he was even though no matter what happened he had by the age of one become a figure forever cemented in Wizarding history.  
  
"I only heard you made us proud. You made me proud. I wish I could have seen you. I am sure it was an awesome sight." I said smiling at him; it was true, I was proud of my noble friend, my noble ex.  
  
"I wish you were there too Kate." He said softly, he leant in and kissed my cheek softly, but the kiss lingered longer then a friendly peck on the cheek and I felt him breathe me in slowly. Why had he done that?  
  
"I love you Katie. I always have, I always will." He whispered. He stood up and left without looking back. I sat there on the bench, lost for words. How was I supposed to react? I loved Oliver so much I yearned for him, but I loved Cedric too, only in a way I didn't know. Was this my regret? Would I regret which ever one of them I chose? I could feel the bracelet Oliver bought me grow heavy again, the bracelet that had me prisoner. I had already made my choice before in Dumbledore's office, I wanted Oliver. What would I say to Cedric? Was this due to whatever Dumas had set in Cedric's mind? 


	18. on the field

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
  
A/N: okay this will be a short one but it is important as you have guessed Cedric is now a pivotal character, here I am trying to show that life is not as rosy for him as you saw in Goblet, I want this chapter to show light on his state of mind.  
  
Chapter 18  
  
I went out into the gardens when I finished playing with my breakfast. Cedric was heavy on my mind, he loved me! How many girls in the school dreamt about this situation? All of them, I am the only girl in the school that thought this was a nightmare. I went down to the lake shore and sat on the damp grass on the bank. I could hear foreign accents all around me; I had almost forgotten we had two schools visiting. French and what I thought was a mixture of German and Russian, all I wanted was silence and now I had all these distractions. I stood and ran from the lake and to the one place I loved most in the entire school, the Quidditch pitch. As I walked out onto the pitch I saw him standing there, my first thought was to run back to the school, but my legs took me too him.  
  
"Hey." I said softly as he turned and smiled at me.  
  
"I can't wait to play you on this pitch. You'll kick my ass." He said smiling softly. I sat on the grass and smiled as he sat next to me. He sat close but for that moment I didn't care, I was resolved to talk to him about what he had said to me in the Great Hall. His eyes were large and deep enough for me to drown in.  
  
"I thought you were thinking of going out with Cho?" I asked as he shifted uneasily beside me.  
  
"Yes, but." he started.  
  
"But what?" I asked; my voice was soft and deep. He moved so he was sitting not next to me but right in front of me. He stayed quite for a while.  
  
"Simple, I want you. Kate I know you love Oliver, but you loved me once too. Couldn't we try again?" he said taking my hands in his. I froze as if he had preformed a binding spell on me. Before I knew it he was kissing me. The kiss was soft and gentle but I froze and I pulled back.  
  
"Cedric, you can't do that." I said looking at my hands which were shaking wildly.  
  
"Why not?" he asked softly trying to take my hands back in his, but I wouldn't let him hold them.  
  
"Christ Cedric, I love Oliver." I said as I looked Cedric in the eye I could see his heart breaking as I told him we couldn't get back together.  
  
"Cedric, you are one of the few men in this world I do love and I trust you more then anyone of them, I have known you as long as I have known Oliver. You are my best friend; I do want you in my life, always. But I am with Oliver. Do you understand?" I said as I took his hands in mine. I looked at him and smiled.  
  
"I love you though Kate never ever forget that. No matter where you go in the world. No matter what happens to me, I love you." He sighed putting a strand of hair behind my ear, it was such a slow innocent movement, but at that second it felt more intimate then any other touch I had ever before felt.  
  
"Hey now, Cedric nothing is going to happen to you." I said my voice trembled a tiny bit, there was another nagging point in the back of my mind, this tournament was dangerous and I was worried for him and for Harry.  
  
"Can you promise me that? There was a god damn Dragon there at the first task! What will they have next? I wanted you to know how I feel just in case something happens to me. I am sorry if I put you in an awkward position." He said standing. I stood up and I hugged him. This man had been my friend for so long and now I saw that he was more then worried, he was scared. 


	19. his letter

Disclaimer: if I did own these characters I would not have such HUGE student loans to pay back, now would I?  
  
CHAPTER 19  
  
He walked away from me then, leaving me alone and confused on the field. Some first years were wandering about. I sat back down on the grass and sighed. Last year my life had been so easy; pass my OWLS, play Quidditch, avoid bludgers to the head. Three simple rules and now; now I had mirrors of Avalon, bewitched diamonds, two guys in love with me, batty old spectres out to get me, Oliver's parents out to get me. I flopped back onto my back and looked up into the sky until a shadow was cast over me.  
  
"You'll catch cold Bell. Can't have you back in hospital, we have my eye brows to think about." I opened my eyes and saw Fred standing over me smiling. He held his hands out and pulled me to my feet.  
  
"So I take it Cedric the great is still mad after you?" he said as we walked towards the exit of the pitch. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I just mean we thought it was weird that he sat there in the hospital just as long as Oliver. For a little while we thought the two of them were going to fight. I still think there will be blood spilt between them." Fred said softly, I didn't say anything but I knew he was right, I had to do something about Oliver and Cedric, they would have to start getting along if I wanted to keep them both in my life.  
  
I sat in the common room that evening reading a novel my mother had sent me, some Scottish crime writer, when an owl landed beside me. I gave it one of the treats that were on the table and unrolled the letter that was around its ankle. Looking at the lopsided letters I knew instantly it was from Cedric.  
  
My sweet Kate,  
  
I am just writing to say sorry, sorry for putting you in such an awkward position. But I meant every word I said on the pitch and in the Hall. I love you. I know you don't love me but let me love you. I don't want you to shun me because it's awkward between us. Your company means more to me then all the gold in the world. I want to hear you laugh again, you haven't laughed in so long. Can I be the one to make you laugh? Can you make me laugh again? I haven't smiled in such a long time and meant it. Can I sit with you in charms and watch your cup change into a flower? Can I be your best friend? Can I count on you always to help me? Will you count on me?  
  
Can I mind you? Can I protect you from all ill? Can I take the pain from your shoulders? Can I take the burden of Dumas? Can I give you back your spark? I don't want you ever to cry a single tear, let all the tears you have come to me instead and I will cry them for you. I don't want you to be unhappy. I would fight a war to see you happy and content. I would do all this even if you banish me because of what I did today. If you sent me to the far ends of this earth forever I would still love you. But let me be your rock to lean on, the light in the end of the tunnel. You don't have to love me, just tolerate me.  
  
Love eternally,  
  
C.  
  
I read the letter over and over again, it was beautiful. My first urge was to go to him and give him a hug but a tiny part of me said no, Oliver is the only one you should hug, that part won, so I folded the letter up and went to my dorm. Slowly I took out the small shoe box I kept my most precious belongings, my diary, my grandmother's locket, now this letter. I sat on the bed for a while whilst I tried to think of what to do. Then it hit me. Oliver was the answer and I knew that he would understand after everything we had made it through, that I had to be friends with Cedric, and I would only be friends with the Ravenclaw.  
  
I flopped back onto my bed and took a deep breath. I lay there for a long time looking at the ceiling until my eyes grew heavy with sleep. I fell into a deep sleep, and I dreamt.  
  
The dream world I stood in now was terrifying, it was as if I was trapped in a watercolour painting which had run while wet. The world seemed blurred and to melt into everything. But I saw two things clear, or should I say I saw them quite clearly. My two captains; both standing on cliff edges, tittering far to close to the edge then I would like.  
  
"You can only save one. One must fall." A voice sang from every corner of the world, it seemed to come from both ground and sky, from air and plant. Fear gripped me; they were going to make me pick one to live and one to die. How could I? I loved them both so much, Oliver was the only man I loved while Cedric was one of the best friends I had ever had in my life.  
  
"I can not choose between them." I screamed to the elements. But the wind seemed to turn from breeze to gale, my hair slapped at my cheeks blinding me. I heard a man scream and I ran towards him. I ran to where I feared most the scream had come from, but it was too late, I had lost him. I had lost him to the dark bottomless void. He was gone.  
  
I woke with a start. Who had I run to? Which of them had fallen? Who had I lost? I woke with such a start that I startled Alicia.  
  
"Merlin, Bell you okay?" she asked as I swung my feet to the ground, but I dared not stand my feet seemed far too shaky. Was that just a normal dream? Should I tell Dumbledore?  
  
"Yeah, I am fine, I'm fine." I said softly, I felt the bracelet on my wrist, which felt like fire now burning and branding me. No I was far from fine. I tried to give Alicia a convincing smile and I went to the bathroom where I splashed my face with ice cold water. I looked at myself in the mirror. I hadn't looked at myself properly in months. What was going on? Why? Yes that was my main question, why me? I knew Cedric was asking that too, but he had volunteered to be champion. I had not volunteered for whatever was happening to me and I just wanted it to stop. I wanted to take the bracelet off; I wanted to worry about Christmas exams and what to buy mum and dad. I wanted to go back to being ordinary and I even wanted a normal boring life where the most exciting thing that happened was you had run out of milk. Then a thought popped into my head. I knew the one person who could help me with Oliver and Cedric. My big sister Jenny, 'why else have a big sister?' I thought smiling to myself. I would have to meet her though. But I knew how to get to her. Dumbledore owed me, he said I was safe and I had had an attack, I would use that and the fact I missed the Hogsmead weekend to let me go see Jenny in Edinburgh for a weekend. I suddenly did feel better, Jenny would have some answers to my smaller problems, and I knew that for fact. 


	20. sisters

Okay I actually got another chapter done without the aid of my laptopwhich is still in the shop. God bless the university computer labs. So enjoy. Love eisa.  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill, I own nothing.  
  
Chapter 20  
  
I appeared with a pop in Jenny's front room. It had been easy to talk them into letting me come to see her. They couldn't do anything to protect me in the school so it didn't really matter where I was. Jenny smiled and hugged me as she got over the shock of me suddenly appearing out of thin air.  
  
"My god Katie, that is one hell of a trick." She said as she made me a cup of coffee; it was nice to be surrounded by Muggle things; it felt quaint now, that food didn't magically appear on your plate or juice in your glass. But I smiled at my sister as she handed me the large mug, coffee was one of those items the wizarding world ignored, to great pity.  
  
"Now tell me everything, since I wasn't allowed tell mum and dad that you have escaped for the weekend." She said as she faced me. Jenny was almost eight years older then me, and had just gotten her Masters Degree in Archaeology; she had been seeing her boyfriend Lars for about six years. I liked Lars, he didn't seem to mind at all that I was a witch; in fact I think he thought it was cool. But for tonight Jenny had sent Lars to the pub with some of his friends for the evening so I could talk with my big sis. So as we sat at the small oval table in the cream kitchen I told her everything from the time I got the letter from Professor MacGonagall to tell me I was the new captain to the point of when I got the letter from Cedric.  
  
"I don't get it. You love Oliver, right? So why are you so worried about Cedric?" she asked puzzled.  
  
"Of course I love Oliver, I love him more then anything.." I said stirring my cooling coffee.  
  
"But.." Jenny said as if trying to force words into my mouth, I looked up at her and I knew she knew.  
  
"I am so worried for him. He could get hurt in this tournament; he had to get past a dragon for the first task. I don't want to loose him. I love Cedric too."  
  
"You love them both?" she asked looking at me with the look only an older sister can give. I nodded. I felt so guilty, I really did love Oliver, but I loved Cedric too. I had often heard stories of girls who loved two guys and didn't know what to do, I had always thought that was impossible to love two people at the same time and now I knew it was too easy to fall in love with your best friends.  
  
"You'll have to pick one of them; you can't torture yourself over this though. You are only seventeen, you have a life time to find 'the one' right now you just have to make the choice that will make you happiest." How could she be so wise when she was only twenty five?  
  
"But I don't want to hurt them." I sighed softly thinking of the dream I had had where I did in fact choose one, but as of yet I still didn't know which one I had run towards in the vain effort of saving him. Oliver or Cedric?  
  
"Katie, someone always gets hurt, you, Oliver or Cedric. One of you will get a broken heart. That's just the way life is, no matter if you are a witch or; what is it a muddle?"  
  
"Muggle." I corrected as I let her words sink in. She was right; someone would always get hurt, no matter what happened.  
  
"So you are not telling mum and dad about this Dumas woman?" Jenny asked as she poured me a fresh cup. I shook my head.  
  
"No they worry too much already, and then they would feel guilty because they wouldn't know how to protect me. It's best if this stays between the two of us; okay Jen?" I said looking into her dark eyes. She nodded knowing only to well the way my parents felt helpless when it came to the Wizarding world.  
  
"So what exactly do you want me to tell you in relation to Cedric and Oliver?" Jenny asked as she tried to take the subject away from matters she herself could not protect me from.  
  
"How do I choose which one?" I asked softly almost too quietly for her to hear.  
  
"Honey you are what just gone seventeen, Cedric was your first boyfriend and Oliver is your first serious one. You don't have to choose. Do you remember when I was seventeen? I was going out with Kevin. I thought he was 'the one', I was wrong wasn't I? He was far from the one. But then at that age I thought that he was the only guy for me and my world spun just for him. Ten years from now, you will look back on Oliver and Cedric and smile as you hold hands with however you meet. Just because they both love you and you love them too doesn't mean you have to stay with them, if they make things too hard you can tell them to go away, with this Dumas woman on your tail you have enough to worry about apart from their raging testosterone and if they love you like they say they do, they should know that your only worry is Dumas."  
  
"Yeah but you met Lars at nineteen. You two had problems; he went back to Norway for a year! You worked everything out. Why couldn't Oliver be the one?" I said softly as I spun the snitch pendent between my fingers.  
  
"Then there's your choice. You didn't say why not Cedric. You have already made your mind up. You just want me to back you up and say that it was me who told you to break Cedric's heart. Sweetie, I love you and by dad your life is like some supernatural version of Dawson's Creek but relax take your time, worry about the nut case that wants to ruin you and not the fact that you have two great guys ready to fight over you. I would have loved that when I was your age." Jenny said smiling; again I was surprised at her wisdom.  
  
"Now do you want to send Oliver a note? I am sure you would rather spend the night in his place then on my bumpy old couch." I blushed as she teased me and I sat and wrote a short note to Oliver telling him I was in Scotland. I had only sent the note when an hour later I heard the unmistakeable 'pop' sound from the sitting room.  
  
"Oliver!" I called as I ran to him; he threw his arms around me and held me tight. Yes, there was no mistake his were the only arms I belonged in and now I felt guilty for doubting that.  
  
"God Oliver, I love you so much." I whispered as I clung to him. I let him go and put my arm around his waist.  
  
"Oliver Wood this is my sister Jenny Bell. Jen this is Oliver." I smiled as Jenny shook Oliver's hand.  
  
"Nice to meet you Oliver, now I think you should both 'pop' back to where ever you pop too, because Kate here has to be back at school in twelve hours. Now behave yourself and don't forget to write to me and mum." Jenny said as she kissed my cheek.  
  
"Thanks Jenny." I said as I hugged my big sister.  
  
"Be careful Katie, I mean it, I don't know what I'd do if." she didn't finish the sentence but she hugged me again tighter and she smiled and straightened my hair.  
  
"Love you sis." She said as she tossed me my coat, Oliver smiled down at me and wrapped his arm tight around my waist as I wished my big sister goodbye.  
  
"Love you too Jen. I'll see you and Lars at Christmas." I said and then I was gone with a pop. 


	21. what the?

Disclaimer: okay, okay; I know Oliver hasn't said or done much for a while but he makes up for it here. Here it gets saucy again ;) very R. enjoy. Isn't it amazing I have actually done 21 chapters! Oh I own none of this bar the bare idea.  
  
CHAPTER 21  
  
"Oliver, God, I love you so much." I said as I looked at him in the fading light, his hair was freshly cut and gelled and his eyes were large and dark. I took the step that separated us and smiled as I kissed him. I gave him everything in that kiss, my body, my heart and my soul. I let my fingers dance on his back as I made my way to the band of his jeans.  
  
"Katie, are you sure?" he asked his voice low and husky as he ran his soft large palm over my cheek. I nodded and let him guide me to his room, to our room. He slowly started to undo the buttons of my blouse revealing my school bra, soft white cotton. He smiled up at me as he ran his fingers over the top of my breasts, stopping just above my pounding heart. I yearned now for his lips on my flesh, to baptise me with their heat and passion. Slowly he slid the blouse of my shoulders and let it fall into a crumpled heap on the hard wood floor. His hands traced the curve of my waist and stopped at my hips just above the zip of my pencil skirt. He unfastened the button and eased the zip down until my skirt was at my toes. He took a step back and looked at me.  
  
"You are so beautiful. What did I ever do to deserve you?" he said as he pulled me to him again. His embrace is urgent and heated. I fumbled with the stiff buttons of his shirt and eased it off brushing his tight muscular skin with my hands, his breath caught in his throat as I kissed his chest. I felt him tremble as I slowly almost teasingly undid his belt and pulled it from the belt loops and tossed it to one corner. I licked the valley between his pecks as my fingers worked at easing the tightening zip. I pulled his jeans down slowly letting my tongue work its way south too until I was at the band of his black jockey shorts. I looked up into his eyes which were filled with black passion and anticipation. I smiled up at him and I eased his shorts off revealing his full length. I licked my lips and slowly took his into my mouth. I could now feel him shudder with pleasure as he tried to hold himself back as I licked and teased as I took more and more of him into my mouth. I heard him moan my name softly as if whispering an illicit prayer. I smiled and slowly eased him out of my mouth; I had no wish for tonight to end so early. I stood before him now and unfastened my bra. He flopped into a relaxed sitting position on the bed as he looked at my form. I went to him and sat on his lap; one knee each side of his thighs, I could feel him pulsing against me and I bit back a gasp as I felt his fingers slide down below the band of my panties while he took a nipple in his mouth, licking and flicking at the overly sensitive skin as he eased my panties down until he slide his fingers deep into me probing for the nerve to send ecstasy shooting through me.  
  
I lifted my knees of the bed as he pushed my panties of totally.  
  
"Now, please." I gasped as he kissed me, I could feel him smile against me as he lifted me by the hips and plunged me down, he drove deep into me and I almost screamed with the sensation. It felt amazing. He buried himself to the hilt but he let me remain on top letting me control the speed and angle. I rocked up and down and rolled until we were knotted in the sheets.  
  
He drove into to me, twice, three times, I had to scream his name now, and I couldn't contain it anymore. I had to and I let out an orgasmic scream.  
  
Hearing me cry his name made him more passionate and he captured my mouth in a hungry kiss which felt as if he was trying to devour me whole. I racked his back with my nails as I tightened my legs around his waist. I squeezed my inner muscles to the best of my ability and I heard him cry out my name which drove me wilder with passion. I arched my back to an angle which meant he could thrust faster and deeper into the tighter regions where my white heat became overwhelming for him and I felt him flow through me. He flopped down onto me, spent and sweaty, but he didn't pull out, nor did I want him to. As he lay there, we both fought to catch our breath as we continued to lazily fondle each other. I felt him slip a finger into me between himself and he sought out my raw nerve, he tickled it and smiled as I bit him softly as I tried not to cry out in pleasure again.  
  
Slowly I felt him grow hard again and he kissed my neck softly as he lifted him self up a little. He grasped me around the waist and lifted me up into a half sitting position.  
  
"I love you Katie." I heard him gasp as he slowly began to rock me again, building the pressure back up until I felt I would explode.  
  
"I love you too Oliver." I gasped in short breaths.  
  
Once again spent we lay there holding onto each other tight.  
  
"I've missed you." He said softly as he kissed the top of my head.  
  
"I missed you too."  
  
"Katie, you and Cedric?" he didn't need to say anymore, I knew what he was trying to get at.  
  
"No, Oliver, if you really think that I will leave now and never look back. Only you okay." I said sitting up.  
  
"I believe you, I trust you. Its just I don't trust him. He wants you." Oliver said sitting up awkwardly.  
  
"So what if he wants me, he's not going to get me. You got me, like it whether or not." I said rubbing Oliver's bare chest. This seemed to soothe him and I lay back down as I grew sleepier.  
  
I woke in his arms and smiled, the sun was still trying to creep up the floor and I knew it was time for me to go. I looked down at Oliver who lay snuggled into, his right arm draped over my stomach pinning me to the bed.  
  
"Ollie, I need to go." I whispered into his ear hoping he would wake. He rolled over but didn't wake. I got up slowly so as not to wake him and I dressed slowly. I left a short note on the bedside table as I used the port- key Dumbledore had given me. I felt the familiar hook and then I was back in the head masters room.  
  
"Ah Miss Bell. You had best head to breakfast there is a buzz about." The headmaster said as he petted the baby Phoenix. I smiled and went to the office door.  
  
"I hope you sent Mr Wood our greetings." I turned around to look at the old wizard who simply smiled and then I left, blushing head to toe.  
  
The Monday morning rush was on when I made the great hall and yet through the vast sea of black robes I could still find him. Cedric the Great as the twins called him, jokingly. He had been my Cedric, for a while but now, now I just didn't know anymore. Looking at him as he sat surrounded by girls I knew he didn't even notice. I could feel his eyes on me and I felt as if I had never spent a night with Oliver. What power has Cedric over me? Had I really made a choice at all? He saw me looking over and smiled with his tiny wink which I had loved about him once. The wink that had started our friendship all the way back in first year when I sat beside him in my first ever class in Hogwarts, potions. He had winked at me and given me this big cheeky cocky grin as if everything in the world didn't really exist at that moment. And now after all this time it still felt the same, when he looked at me, we were the only people alive.  
  
"Bell!" a loud yell from the Gryffindor table made me break eye contact. I saw Fred Weasley standing on the bench with Alicia. I had noticed they were starting to become very pally. I smiled and went to them.  
  
"You have a nice weekend with you big sis?" Alicia asked as she gave Fred her toast without him even asking, she always got a slice extra to give to him.  
  
"Yeah, I went to see Oliver too. I had a blast."  
  
"Oliver was here too, came to see our Champion, they had a few 'words' if ya get my drift." Fred said softly as if it was a secret of great importance. I leaned closer; Oliver had said nothing to me about coming to see Cedric.  
  
"Really? What happened?" I asked leaning across Alicia to hear what Fred had to say.  
  
"They went for each other; if Snape hadn't arrived I think one of them would have killed the other. I never thought Oliver would goad Cedric into a fight." He sighed wishing now he hadn't said anything to me.  
  
"Oliver started it!" I said a little too loud and some of the others turned around to look at me.  
  
"Merlin of course, he came into the library and ushered Cedric out to 'talk'. I don't know what they spoke about but after a minute Oliver landed a fist square on Cedric's face, broke his nose. But Cedric didn't hit back though until Oliver said something else then Cedric lost it and they had to be pulled apart by magic. Madam Pomfrey did a good job fixing them up, they were a real mess; they were only in the hospital wing for about an hour when they came out good as new."  
  
"So Oliver came here to beat the crap out of Cedric?" I asked to myself, why had he done that? There was no threat to our relationship. But from what I had just heard it felt as if I didn't even know Oliver, why hadn't he told me? What made him beat the crap out of Cedric? 


	22. potions

Disclaimer: I own nothing, getting a bit sick of writing this so this is the last disclaimer, for how many chapters that follow all I own is the idea I don't own the characters except Abby Wood and Dumas.  
  
Chapter 22  
  
"Cedric!" I called as I jogged along the hall to catch him before he went to Potions. He turned and smiled at me but when he saw the look on my face; he slumped his shoulders, the twinkle again leaving his eyes. I hate myself for taking that sparkle away from him.  
  
"It wasn't my fault." Was the first thing he said as he stood to one side of the dark corridor. I stood before him, close so no one could hear what we were saying, as people around kept looking at how we were whispering, curious as to why I was talking to Cedric after he had beaten up my boyfriend. It seems the fight had been the event of the year so far, forget the tournament.  
  
"I want to know what happened. Everything!" I ordered. He nodded and ushered me into a vacant classroom. He paced the aisle between the desks and finally he sat on the corner of a desk. I walked up to him as he looked at his knuckles which were still purple from the fight, why hadn't Madam Pomfrey healed them? I touched his bruised hands and he looked up at me.  
  
"I didn't let her heal them. He came at me, I swear. We were talking then he popped me in the face, hard." He said looking up at me sheepishly, I didn't realise I was still touching his hands.  
  
"What were you talking about?" I asked knowing they could only have been talking about me. What was going on?  
  
"He wanted me to stay away from you. He said that this Dumas thing was all my fault, that if it wasn't for me you would be safe. I told him how I feel about you, that I would never ever hurt you. When he heard that he just hit me. I didn't hit him back straight away, I tried to talk to him, but he lost it. I have never seen Oliver like that. I didn't know he could get like that. Then he said that I was using you then I lost it. I am not proud, that's why I left my knuckles, proof that I was an idiot, fighting solved nothing, in fact it made things worse. I am so sorry Kate." His voice was so beaten, he was tired of being the 'champion', having to be brave and strong all the time. I held his hand and he stood. I never realised how much taller then me he was, nearly a foot. He looked at me with his bright brown eyes. I smiled up at him and I hugged him tight. He wrapped his arms around me tightly.  
  
"You don't have to apologise Cedric." I whispered as he let me go slowly. We stood there now, looking into each others eyes until I took the tiny step that parted us and I kissed him. I don't know why I kissed him but I did, softly innocently, on the lips. The kiss lingered until I took a step away and without a word I left him dazed sitting on the desk in the dim light. When I left the room I let out a deep breath. I had kissed Cedric. I made my way to Potions and took my normal seat next to Angelina.  
  
"Where were you?" she whispered as Snape whooshed into the room. He glared down at me as if he knew what I had just done. A second later Cedric rushed into the room and took his seat.  
  
"It is always a delight when our 'hero's' make it to class." Snape bit. I looked back at Cedric who looked at me confused. I tried to smile at him but I just turned back to face Snape.  
  
"Get into pairs. Bell and Diggory, Weasley and Snippet, Bones and Brown." He went on and paired us all up. I moved back to join Cedric.  
  
"What happened back there?" he asked softly.  
  
"I kissed you, I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me. Can you just forget it ever happened?" I said as I started to cut my newts' eye. He took my hand in his softly. I looked at him pleadingly.  
  
"It never happened, okay." He whispered his voice broken. I had hurt his so much now and I hated myself for that.  
  
"There's a room on the fourth floor near a tapestry, can you meet me there before we go on patrol tonight, and we can talk about all this. We can try sorting some of it out. Okay?" I said looking at him softly. He nodded and we finished making our truth potion.  
  
"Now I want one of the pair to taste it. It should taste like sugar and pray that it works as this is twenty percent of your mark for the year." Snape snapped. I looked down at the beaker and sipped it.  
  
"Mr Diggory ask her questions. Weasley stop that!" Snape bit as he rushed over to Fred who was foaming at the mouth. 


	23. the kiss

Disclaimer: not my stuff. A/N: hello again this is getting a little bit more angst ridden maybe even a little bit darker. And I am now Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 Chapter 23   
  
"Do you like me?" he asked as I looked at him in what could only be seen as a state of horror waiting for him to ask me a question I myself didn't want to answer.  
  
"Yes I do like you Cedric." I said as he held my gaze.  
  
"Do you love me?" he asked softly in a small hoarse whisper.  
  
"Of course, I love you."  
  
"Why can't you be with me instead?"  
  
"I love Oliver more." I see the pain flit across his face as if I had by my words wounded him deeply. He bowed his head and I felt awful.  
  
"Diggory, Bell I want to actually hear your questions and answers. Louder!" Snape said in a thick booming voice.  
  
"Katie, are you happy with Oliver?" Cedric asked the entire class turned around and looked at us. I could feel myself burning to answer the question; I looked at Cedric with horror in my eyes. What was the answer?  
  
"I am." I said.  
  
"Okay enough of this you pass. Now get out." Snape bellowed as he swished his way to the desk.  
  
"Tonight? After patrol?" he asked taking my wrist gently in his large bruised hand as we made our way out of the dungeons.  
  
"Yes. I'll see you there." I sighed rushing away from him before I said anything else before the potion wore off.  
  
Thankfully I had two free classes after so I went to the library. There wasn't many students in it so I went to a table in the back. I was about to sit down when Cho Chang came and slammed her books down behind me.  
  
"You think your clever don't you. Want to see how far you can get him to go before you truly humiliate him? Stop leading him on like a puppy." She snapped.  
  
"I'm not leading him on." I sighed sitting at the table but I could see she was angry, angrier then I had ever seen her before.  
  
"Don't give me that crap. I want you to know this Cedric is mine. I want you to leave him alone." She spat. Now I was starting to get angry.  
  
"He is not yours. He can choose who he wants to see himself and I don't think he would choose you Chang if he could see you like this. I love him to much to let him get stuck with someone like you!"  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" She said grabbing my wrist, squeezing the bracelet into my wrist. She hauled me painfully from my chair; I could feel the diamonds cutting my skin and the blood begin to seep down my arm.  
  
"Just leave him alone. Leave Cedric alone." She said as she let me go.  
  
"Nice to see Wood is making money enough to buy you that bracelet. Isn't he enough? Your rich and famous Quidditch player."  
  
"Just leave me alone will you." I said looking at the small rivers of blood pouring down my wrist.  
  
"Sorry." Cho said as she saw me wince with pain as I touched the wounds, which were deeper, then I had first thought. As she said sorry I brushed past her and left for the hospital wing where I had spent so much time in the last few months of school. After having my wrist fixed by a very fussy madam pomfery I went back to the library for a bit of peace and quite. As I sat in the library with nothing but the sound of quills on parchment I suddenly felt more alone then anyone in the world. Why had Oliver beaten up Cedric? Why hadn't Oliver told me? I was going to find out what was going on tonight.  
  
"When I go to meet Cedric, I am going to tell it to him straight the kiss meant nothing!" I said to myself.  
  
"The kiss? What kiss?" I turned around and saw the look on Alicia's face.  
  
"You kissed Cedric!" she gasped as she caught my arm painfully and pulled me to one side. 


	24. Kalista

Disclaimer: My god i actually got something up hope it is worthy of you all, it starts to get a bit deeper from here, so hold on and bear with me, i will make it all make sense in the coming chapters and there will be other chapters, i swear.  
  
Chapter 24  
  
"you kissed Cedric!" Alicia said holding my wrist and looking at me with a scolding glare.  
  
"Yes i kissed him, but it was only a friendly kiss, it meant nothing." i said, i wasn't sure if i was lying maybe i wasn't, maybe i was. i looked at her and wondered if i should confide the whole tale of Madame Dumas, the bracelet and the Mirrors of Avalon to her, could i burden another person i loved with this. i continued to wait for an answer from her as i drew in short patient breaths. then i felt it again, a pain i had grown all to aware of, Dumas. i don't know if i screamed but i fell to my knees hard, i heard Alicia scream as she rushed to my aid.  
  
"Help! Someone get help!" i heard her yell as i fell into what ever state Dumas brought me too. the blackness that swirled around me was beyond the darkest night i had seen, but i knew where i was, there was no denying it. i was standing in a graveyard at a grave. leaning against the tombstone was Dumas smiling and smoking a cigarette.  
  
"Miss Bell, how pleased i am to see you again. i hope you haven't forgotten me." She said smiling as she looked over at me, her hair blowing in a wind i couldn't feel. i felt like lunging at her but my eyes kept fliting towards the tombstone she was resting so lesurely against. i couldn't make out the name. but i felt i knew the owner, loved the owner. the awful dream i had the cliff top, the choice i made. Oliver or Cedric? who lay now beneath the earth before me?  
  
"Funny isn't it, how life of a wizard is so short, of course there are some who live forever, or so it feels, like Dumbledore or Voldemort. oh sorry i shouldn't say that name should i? but i am older then them though they think i am their peer, i was around a lot longer then they know. I must add that i shall be around long after they are gone, consigned to the history books like Godric Gryffindor or even Harry Potter. You know you could be just like me, immortal, a queen amongst the wizards, they will love you and fear you. its in your blood." she said as she came closer to me.  
  
"My blood?" i asked as she began to circle me like a shark.  
  
"You must know that every mudblood has magic in them for a reason, that reason my lovely is reincarnation. you were once mighty and powerful beyond all the Banshee."  
  
"i was a banshee!" i said in disbelife. "i was soulless?"  
  
"what is a soul? i know of vampires who have loved, men who have killed millions with one. the soul is what people use as an excuse to explain away good and evil. Evil has no soul, good is all soul. the banshee is more then a messanger of death it is more ancient then all the magics. you could be great again Kalista. all you have to do is choose between your Keeper and your Seeker. one will bring you to me the other will lead you away from what your blood yearns for. one will die and one will live which i shan't say but your chose shall be made." she said in such a sing song voice that i wondered if perhaps there was a little snake in the 'woman' before me. as i tried to draw nearer the grave to see the name etched in the headstone a blinding flash of blue light blast out of it and engulfed me.  
  
i woke gasping as if i had been held underwater. as my eyes darted around the room i tried to focus on an object. i felt someone holding my hand, they storked it gently.  
  
"she's waking up." a voice said, i knew who it was instantly Cedric.  
  
"Cedric!" i called as i became more and more aware of my surroundings.  
  
"shush your still weak don't try to move. i am right here and i am not going anywhere." he said as he ran his hand over my forhead. his words made me feel so much better as i felt my skin tingle from his touch.  
  
"Who is Kalista?" i gasped knowing that MacGonagall or Dumbledore must be standing near me also. i heard mumbling and the hustling of feet away from me. they knew who she was, maybe they knew everything, maybe this was more then just trying to keep me away from Cedric, maybe it went much, much deeper then we had first thought. i started to feel as if i was being swallowed now by something much bigger, something i would never ever get away from.  
  
"Cedric, hold me." i said as i felt him scoop me into his strong arms. i cried then as he held me tight, i tried to imagine my life without him and i couldn't, how could i survive without him, he had always been there for me, constant. he had never lied to me. Why had Oliver beaten him up? i was going to find the answer to that question. and that answer would hold the future of my relationship with him.  
  
"How long was i out this time?" i asked as i let Cedric go.  
  
"Just a day this time, but it was a day to long for me. You have to stop doing this, my heart won't take it." he said with a faint trace of a smile. 


	25. we don't know

Chapter 25  
  
"You have to tell me!" I screamed, I didn't care how loud I was screaming at him, I could see Dumbledore almost shrink before my confrontation. But I just didn't care anymore.  
  
"First I am told this woman wants my soul then you keep telling me that this Dumas 'woman' wants because she wants me to be with Cedric, now she wants me because I am some reincarnated banshee called Kalista! I want a straight answer now!" I slammed my fist hard on the table. Cedric was now standing behind me; he had remained quite the whole way from the hospital wing after he failed to convince me to stay in the wing. His hand was resting on my shoulder silently telling me to relax, his touch was like bringing me back to earth.  
  
"We don't know."  
  
"You don't know. You should have told me that you knew nothing before you filled my head with your crap theories about why she's hunting me. That's what she's doing she's hunting me." I didn't give Dumbledore time to answer as I turned on my heel marching down the hall with my steps echoing around. Another set of steps followed me, two large hands caught me, I didn't need to look into his eyes so I let him hold me.  
  
"They are trying."  
  
"I know I'm just terrified, I want to know what Dumas has planned, I'd like to know what's in store for us." He held me out and forced me to meet his gaze.  
  
"Us?" he asked. Looking at him I wonder should I tell him about the headstone.  
  
"Never mind I'm going go to.... I'm going to go." I saw something flash in his eyes, understanding? Love?  
  
"We all have choices in this life I chose to put my name up for champion, you however are my champion. You must have known I did this all for you." His voice was soft, almost seductive. I cradled his face in my hand. His eyes locked with mine and I had the strongest urge to kiss him, to hold him. I knew he was frightened just like me, afraid of what was coming. But as I looked at the other students I wondered if they were also just as frightened about what they were going to do with their future.  
  
"No, don't say that. If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself. You are my best friend and I love you so much. I...... I have to go. Oliver, I'm sorry." I said dashing away to where I had arranged to meet Oliver. 


	26. fire talk and weeping willows

Sorry its taken so long but it is coming and I will update more regularly from now on, promise. Love you loads.  
  
Chapter 26  
  
I ran to the office Professor McGonagall had lent me. After all they knew nothing, I had to tell Oliver that, and I wanted to talk to him about the fight with Cedric.  
  
How could he have come here to pick a fight with him and not even mentioned it to me. It didn't sound like the Oliver I loved. So as I waited by the fire looking into the dancing flames I watched for his face to appear. I knelt on the cold hearth and waited for what felt like an age until at last the outline of his face appeared smiling at me. As I saw the smile I couldn't help but smile back even though I was cross with him.  
  
"hey there Bell." He smiled as he winked at me. I smiled back before I could help myself. My knees were going numb but I had no intention of standing, I would talk to him now.  
  
"I heard you came to the school." I said softly without warning. I saw the look on his face change; as if he had turned to look at his feet. Then his eyes shot up and met mine again, his expression hardened, I knew this look, this was the look he got every time one of us had dropped the quffal or let the snitch get caught.  
  
"Yeah what did Cedric tell you?" he said in a soft cold voice.  
  
"It wasn't just Cedric, others told me too. Why did you start the fight? You have nothing to worry about. I have chosen you over and over again." I said folding my arms, if he wanted a fight I would give him one. He looked at me now and the flames seemed to grow hotter and higher.  
  
"Well." He said as if looking for something to say.  
  
"Well, is that your argument, my god Oliver I have enough to deal with without worrying that you are going to beat up any lad that talks to me." I said in a quite hushed voice. He again turned to look at his feet this time out of shame.  
  
"But he loves you, you do know that?" Oliver said in a defeated voice. I gave a low sigh and rocked back on my heels.  
  
"Yes I know, but I love you. Cedric is just my friend and he needs my support with the tournament. I need his support too with Dumas, you can't be with me always. Oh god Oliver, Dumbledore hasn't got a clue what's going on. He just told me so." I sighed as I looked at the outline of Oliver's fallen face.  
  
"I have to go." I sighed not giving him time to say anything else I left the office close to tears and more confused then ever. I walked into the garden and saw him standing under the willow tree, his shoulders slumped and his head bowed. I went to him and smiled as he turned to see who was coming. Before I knew it he was holding me tight as if I was the first person he had seen in weeks.  
  
"We'll get through this. Both of us." 


	27. why

Chapter 27

Looking at Cedric I felt as if my world was torn. Cedric or Oliver? That was the only question tearing through my mind. I loved then both. He held me tight in his grasp under the shade of the willow tree. As he held me I wondered if he had ever lied to me as Oliver had; what if he had? How could I believe either of the two men I loved so much? Oliver had never told me about the fight with Cedric in the school while I was with Jenny in Scotland. Was he the man for me? Was Cedric?

As Cedric held me I felt my heart race, the calm lapping of the lake helped me relax. Every mussel in my body relaxed as his hands took my shoulders in his in the seductive enfold he held me in. he held me breathing in every cent I had to give us from the cheap shampoo I had to the expansive perfume I had treated myself to when I did go shopping in London. As Cedric held me I just drew him closer to me. He had never lied to me as Oliver had. Why hadn't Oliver told me about the fight at the school while Cedric was busy trying to solve the next clue.


	28. again

I KNOW IT HAS BEEN SO SO VERY LONG SINCE I HAVE UPDATED BUT AT LONG LAST HERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER AND I SWEAR TO ALL THE GODS THAT I WILL UPDATE SOONISH AGAIN.

Chapter 28

Looking at Cedric as his arm held me in such a tight inmate embrace under the weeping willow which told of total heartbreak with its drooping branches. I felt as if I was cheating on the man I swore I loved. For a second I thought he would kiss me, part of me wanted him to but I backed away and walked back to the school. As I looked back at Cedric, he looked so lost his head bowed his shoulders hunched but until I knew why I was being hunted I could only think of Dumas.

Walking through the door I spotted the paintings whispering. I paid no heed as I headed to my dorm room. I ignored everyone as I lay on my bed thinking about everything had happened since I had visited the shop in Diagon Alley. I had fallen in love with Oliver, I had learnt that even the great Dumbeldore was fallible. Other than that I knew nothing, I didn't know why I was hunted by this 'woman', I didn't know why I was so torn between Oliver and Cedric. I didn't want to sleep I dreaded going to sleep now for fear she would come again and I would once more stand on the cliff and watch while one of the men I loved fell to his death. I walked from the dorm and did what felt like twenty laps of the school just thinking.

I walked the halls slowly wondering what was happening to me. Why was I so torn between two men, I know I loved Oliver but now as I looked at Cedric I couldn't tell if my love was miss placed. Olive had never sent such shivers through me but then Oliver and I had never been in such a tested place before and now that I knew Dumas was truly making me try to pick the man that was my soul mate if that was what Dumbledore really couldn't explain. Why couldn't this all powerful wizard tell me what was going on? I am so torn between these two boys nah they are men. I might have made Oliver a man and he made me a woman but Cedric seemed to rely on me so much more. When Cedric looked at me I saw so much more. I saw the fear that lay within him. He really doesn't want to be the champion. I don't want him to be in such danger. The next task is close and I know that they will grow worse. Yet Oliver has grown so distant since I have left his flat. I love him but god knows I really want to know if he really did come here and start a fight with Cedric.

Dumas was the last thing on my mind when again my head felt light. I was just about to enter the dorm when I felt my knees buckle beneath me. I heard her voice the soft haunting whisper. 'One will loose you forever'

I woke and Cedric was by my side. When I saw him I smiled softly.

"Hey" I sighed in a sleepy voice that I didn't even recognise as mine. His dark eye sparkled and smiled.

"You know that this is getting so passé, you really have to stay awake." His smile was so broken that I couldn't tell if he was just happy to see me awake or if he really thought that I was just trying it on.

"How long?" I asked, how long was I out this time, a week, a month, more?

"You missed the challenge again! Don't worry I survived. But Jesus woman stop passing out into comas." He said his voice trying to be cheerful.


End file.
